Lime-y Margaritas

England is terrible at mixed drinks. There. I said it.

But, it's not for lack of trying (or desire). I think it's actually because of The Weights and Measures Act of 1963. This law "made it illegal in Britain for businesses to give short weights or short measures [of spirits/alcoholic beverages] to consumers" (wikipedia). BUT, read conversely, this also means it is illegal to give "long" measures.

The result: alcohol is not measured to taste. Alcohol is measured by exact volume.

This means very good things for beer. Pints are huge here.

But, this means very bad things for spirits. Shots are tiny. As a result, mixed drinks come in super small glasses with hardly any alcohol. Sad.

So, when I get a craving for "real" margaritas, I make my own. I like them extra tart and lime-y (no pun intended — initially). Here's my recipe:

Directions:

(makes 1 margarita)

Fill a drink shaker with ice. Add 1 shot of tequila (I would use Patron, but I can't find it here), 1 shot of Grand Mariner, and 3 shots of fresh squeezed lime. Note: if you don't have a brother like John to squeeze them for you, I highly recommend investing in a lemon/lime squeezer.

Next, fill your shaker to the top with a good limeaide. Something not from concentrate, made with just limes, water, and sugar (my favourite is Simply Limeaide). Now, if you can't find limeaide (like me), add a shot of lime cordial and fill to the top with water.

Shake well.

Then, if you want salt (I always do): Use one of your squeezed limes to wet the edge of your margarita glass. Pour some sea/kosher salt on a plate. And roll the edge of the glass in the salt.

Finally, add ice. Pour. Serve.

And, yes. I served mine in pint glasses.

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