Must-Have Margaritas

Here's the go-to margarita recipe that every bartender worth his salt should know how to make.

What do you get when you combine a strawberry-banana smoothie with tequila and triple sec? This sweet, fruity margarita.

There's no better way to enjoy a warm afternoon than with a frosty glass of tequila, lime juice, and your favorite accents. Start the party with a fresh Cucumber Margarita, garnished with lime.

Two classic tequila cocktails come together in a drink that's tangy and sweet, and almost as beautiful as a real sunrise. For this stunning presentation, pour the grenadine into the bottom of your glasses and then carefully pour the tequila mixture on top. If you want more sweetness, gently stir the two layers together—then you'll see a pretty pink sunrise!

For a fresh twist on the traditional frozen margarita, pour tequila over scoops of tart lime sorbet for a refreshing cocktail you can eat with a spoon.

Forgo the long list of ingredients and pick a winner that features only four. Start with frozen margarita mix, and add tequila, blue curaçao liqueur, and lime juice. It's the perfect drink to serve poolside.

Take that familiar frozen margarita to the next level by adding prickly pear fruit. This fruit adds a rich pink color to your 'rita and a touch of sweetness. This particular recipe packs a sour punch, but you can adjust the sugar and fruit to your taste.

When choosing prickly pear fruit, pick ones that are red or dark purple in color, and that give slightly when you squeeze them. You can find the fruit at Whole Foods or online at Melissa's.

Use leftover watermelon to add sweet flavor and fun color to this lime drink. If you like your watermelon with a sprinkle of salt, try this cocktail with a salt rim instead of sugar.

Mix it up and serve margaritos—a tasty cross between a margarita and a mojito. Blend frozen mojito mix with tequila, cranberry sauce, orange liqueur, and lime juice for a satisfyingly sweet summer concoction.

Celebrate under the stars with a ruby red margarita. Usually, margaritas come with a salt rim, but this beauty shines with a sparkling sugar topping. It's the perfect complement to the tart frozen limeade concentrate and cranberry juice.

Make an adults-only dessert drink that calls for a spoon. Granita comes from the Italian word for "ice," so enjoy this tasty grown-up version of a slushy, made with gold tequila and lime rind.

Make a welcoming drink with fragrant hibiscus blossoms. The slightly tart blossoms steep in a sugar-and-water mixture, resulting in a fresh and tangy drink. Serve over ice, and garnish with lime.

Serve this recipe for a party—you can make the raspberry mixture up to a day ahead, then simply add tequila and triple sec and blend with crushed ice before serving. Add a sugar rim and fresh raspberry garnish, and call it this summer's signature cocktail.

This 'rita recipe calls for Combier, the world's first and original triple sec. If you don't have Combier, you can use another triple sec or orange liqueur. For a pretty presentation, serve this 'rita in a classic margarita glass and garnish with thinly sliced orange and lime wheels.

Because of the sweetness of the watermelon this margarita doesn't need much sugar, so one glass has only 105 calories. A little bit of fresh lime juice brightens the drink and adds a welcome tanginess. For a special touch, rim your glasses with sugar and garnish with lime wedges and watermelon balls.

Use fresh Key lime juice to give this margarita a tropical flair. Instead of simple syrup to balance the tart lime flavor, use agave nectar, a sweetener produced in Mexico that's sweeter than sugar. You can even spice it up by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of jalapeño chile sauce.

The deep red tones of this cocktail come from pomegranate juice. Not only is this sweet juice beautiful, it's also packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. Orange liqueur and fresh lime juice add complexity to the drink, and you can even serve it with fresh pomegranate seeds.

Mangoes and avocados are two foods that are natural partners for margaritas, and this version of the popular cocktail blends them all together. Spice up the traditional salt rim by adding a little chili powder.

Who says margaritas are just for summer? Celebrate the holidays with this festive frozen drink featuring both cranberry juice cocktail and fresh cranberries. Reserve some of those fresh berries to make a simple garnish.

Mint adds a delicious, refreshing flavor to this drink that's hard to resist—so much so that our editors declared it one of their favorite 'ritas! Instead of blending with ice, just place your margarita mixture into a zip top plastic bag until it freezes. Rim your glasses in a sugar-salt mixture to continue the sweet-tangy theme and garnish with mint.

Sit back in your Adirondack chair, enjoy the view of the mountains, and sip on an apple-and-orange-juice margarita.

This twist on a classic frozen margarita gives your drink a sweet note. Add fresh strawberries and a splash of orange-flavored liqueur.

This simple, elegant margarita comes together in no time flat. In a shaker, combine tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, thin slices of cucumber, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Shake and pour over ice into a salt-rimmed glass. The cucumber infuses the drink with a cool flavor, which balances the smoky, slightly spicy cayenne kick at the end of each sip.

Ruby red grapefruit juice gives this 'rita a blushing pink hue, and the more you add, the richer the color will be. Add frozen limeade concentrate for a refreshing punch of flavor, without all that squeezing. You can even make this recipe the day before your party. Just freeze until your guests arrive and then all you need to do is stir, serve, and enjoy!