Classic Margarita

Rub rim of a chilled margarita glass with lime wedge, and dip rim in salt to coat, if desired.

Fill cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add lime juice, liqueur, tequila, and powdered sugar; cover with lid, and shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately.

*1/3 cup thawed frozen limeade concentrate may be substituted for fresh lime juice. Omit powdered sugar, and proceed with recipe as directed.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Cointreau for orange liqueur and Jose Cuervo Especial for tequila.

Frozen Margarita: Combine lime juice, liqueur, tequila, and powdered sugar in a small pitcher or measuring cup; stir until powdered sugar is dissolved. Pour into a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze 8 hours. Let stand 5 minutes at room temperature before serving. Pour into prepared glass. Makes 1 serving.

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas: Process lime juice, liqueur, tequila, powdered sugar, 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries*, and 1 cup crushed ice in a blender until slushy. Rub rim of 2 chilled margarita glasses with lime wedge, and dip rim in red decorator sugar to coat, if desired. Serve immediately in prepared glasses. Makes 2 servings.

*Your favorite fruit, such as watermelon, peaches, or berries, may be substituted.

Margarita Sunrise: Pour lime juice, liqueur, tequila, powdered sugar, and 3 Tbsp. orange juice over ice in a cocktail shaker. Cover with lid, and shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into prepared glass. Add 3 Tbsp. club soda or lemon-lime soft drink for a little fizz, if desired. Top with 2 tsp. grenadine. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.

Melon Margarita: Substitute melon liqueur for orange liqueur. Proceed with recipe as directed. Makes 1 serving.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Midori for melon liqueur.

For a shortcut, substitute frozen limeade concentrate for the lime juice and sugar. Like it slushy? Add ice and whiz the mixture in a blender. Make any size batch of this recipe and all the variations by simply multiplying the ingredient measurements by the desired number of servings. For larger batches, stir together all ingredients in a pitcher until powdered sugar is dissolved. Chill and serve over ice. For a sweeter drink, use 1/2 cup powdered sugar instead of 1/3 cup.