Champagne Margarita

Scott Archer Jones

Psychic Preparation:

When you have only one party a year, you can commit the huge errors that a practiced host and hostess so facilely avoid, including human tragedy and charges of involuntary manslaughter. The first time that we served these lethal margaritas, we also served tens of pounds of food, all to no avail. By the end of the evening, the floor was sticky with lime juice, one Stiffel lamp had been destroyed, we had a conga line that dead-ended in the shower, and two of the crowd had gone all weepy and maudlin.

The penultimate flirting with catastrophe came when two of the designated drivers raced their cars, fully loaded in every sense, down our long driveway and onto the loop. We now have war-time rationing for the margaritas and require designated drivers to sign a liability waiver.

Source: rickbayless.com, plus some modifications

Serves: Nine 6 oz. Drinks, or Six 9 oz.'s, or one hospital admission

Ingredients: Hard to Get or Needed Fresh

Cointreau, preferably pre-chilled	1 cup
Lime juice, fresh	1 cup
Lime	1

Ingredients: Lying Around

Silver Tequila, preferably pre-chilled	1 cup
“Champagne,” pre-chilled	1 cup
Water	½ cup
Kosher salt	On a saucer

Notes on the Recipe:

Bayless likes lime zest in his version – our guests found it to be a distraction, and we found it very difficult to strain it out as he advised. Also, you can get by with cheap sparkling wine, but use a good tequila.

Preparation:

1. Combine lime juice, Cointreau, tequila, and water in a pitcher. Put cling film over the top and refrigerate for 1 hour minimum. If you don’t have the hour, add a cup of ice and omit the water.

2. Rub rims of 9 glasses with a lime, quartered, and dip into salt.

3. Either:

4. add one cup of champagne to the pitcher, stir and then serve, or,

5. pour 3 oz of the tequila mix into each glass and then top up with champagne.

Presentation:

Collect all car keys and place in obscure drawer.