Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 2 lime slices or wedges
• 1/4 cup tequila blanco
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup (nectar)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Pour some kosher salt into a small dish. Rub 1 lime slice over half the rim of an Old Fashioned glass (if you prefer your Margarita on the rocks) or a coupe glass (if you prefer it up). Dip rim of glass into salt.

2. Combine tequila, agave syrup, and juice in a cocktail shaker; fill with ice and shake well. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with second lime slice.

3. Squeeze it: The single most important ingredient is fresh lime juice. Use any gadget you like—just please don’t twist open a screw cap. For parties, juice the limes ahead and fill a squeeze bottle to keep at the ready.

4. Sweeten up: Notice there’s no triple sec in our recipe? That’s not a typo—and no, you won’t miss it. We prefer light agave syrup for its complementary flavors (and shared origin) with tequila.

5. Go for silver: Always drink tequila made from 100 percent blue agave. It just tastes better. In Margaritas, use only blanco (a.k.a. silver or white) tequilas, which have a peppery, vegetal kick that won’t get buried when mixed. Save your aged reposados for sipping.

6. Take it with a grain of: Salt brings out the flavor in everything, but too much can be overwhelming. So we only salt halfway around the rim and are careful not to get any in the drink.

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