Celebrate National Margarita Day in San Antonio
One of my favorite US cities is definitely San Antonio, Texas, where they have big plans to celebrate National Margarita Day (Feb 22) in style.
San Antonio shares with my own Tucson the honor of being a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the only two such cities in the USA. That’s quite the bragging rights when it comes to food – and drinks. I like to think nobody makes margaritas anywhere in the USA the way they make them in Arizona, though I’m prepared to give San Antonio a break.
The city certainly has a ton of events planned for National Margarita Day, and some of their best bars have been creating special margaritas for the occasion. So whether you want a prickly pear margarita, a smoked jalapeño margarita, or even a pickle margarita (what?), San Antonio is the place to be.
Boudro’s Prickly Pear Margarita
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup, tequila
- 1/2 cup, triple sec
- 1/4 cup simple syrup
- 1 cup of fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup of prickly pear cactus juice
- 1 blender full of ice
- 1 lime (cut into 6 wedges)
Instructions:
Simple syrup: Combine white sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool. The resulting liquid can be stored in a plastic squeeze bottle, which makes it an easy way to add to cocktails. The ratio of sugar to water can be left to personal preference, although traditionally it is one part water to two parts sugar.
Pour all ingredients (except the cactus pear juice) into the blender. You will need a powerful electric blender that can chop up the ice. Turn on the blender and then successively add more ice and blend until it has a sorbet-like consistency. Pour into a cocktail glass, pour the prickly pear puree on top and add a lime wedge.
Paramour’s Smoked Jalapeño Margarita
Paramour will be featuring this complex but well-balanced spicy marg on National Margarita Day. Our favorite touch is the mezcal which offers a unique smoky taste and aroma to the traditional rocks marg. This is handcrafted by our very own Rey Gonzalez, who has been awarded for his signature margarita recipes.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1/2 ounce grand mariner
- 3 dashes orange bitters
- Pinch sea salt
- 1/2 ounce Blanco tequila infused with jalapeño
- 1/2 ounce el silencio mezcal
- .25 organic agave nectar
Rim glass with homemade smoked sea salt and Chile de Arbol. Garnish with 2 sliced jalapeños.
Hard Rock Café’s Tropical Rita
Description: Fruity, tropical blend of fresh juices, mixed and poured over ice.
Ingredients:
- 1.50 oz House-Infused Strawberry Tequila (premium silver tequila and strawberries)
- 0.50 oz Cointreau Orange Liqueur
- 1.00 oz Pineapple juice
- 0.50 oz Fresh Lime juice
- 0.50 oz Monin Guava Syrup–shaken 10x with ice and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with pineapple wedge on the rim and a pineapple leaf.
Iron Cactus’ Z Honeysuckle Margarita
Description: The delicious and unique Z Honeysuckle Margarita is simple, yet unlike any other. It is made with top-notch ingredients — Pepe Z Blanco tequila, Martine Honeysuckle Liqueur, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar.
Savor’s Savorado Margarita
This margarita has a slight creaminess because it features avocado, with hints of acidity from pineapple and lime juices and a hint of spice at the end from the Pasilla pepper.
Ingredients:
- Avocado
- Pasilla Pepper-infused Espolon Blanco,
- Cointreau
- Pineapple
- Lime
- Agave Nectar
The Savor Margarita will be available at Savor.
They will be offering $2 off margaritas all day at Savor, Live Fire Kitchen (Farmers Market) and CIA Bakery Cafe
Squeezebox Pickle Margarita
Description: For all of the pickle lovers out there – enjoy this cocktail with muddled strawberries and serrano peppers, lime juice, mezcal, simple syrup and a dash of pickle juice. Twang’s Pickle Punch salt and pickle skewered garnish makes for the perfect finale to this cocktail.
Recipe:
- Twangerz pickle punch rim
- Muddled strawberry/ Serrano pepper
- .5 lime juice
- .75 Oz pickle juice
- .75 simple syrup
- 1.5 oz mezcal
Nuestra Margarita
Available at the Esquire Tavern.
Description: Enjoy this tasty classic at the Esquire Tavern shaken, served up, or on the rocks.
Recipe: Blanco tequila, key lime, french triple-sec, and kosher salt
Range’s Tres Agaves Reposado Margarita
There’s a classic Tres Agaves Reposado margarita on the menu at Range. The simple ingredients offer a deliciously clean hand-shaken cocktail, easy for sipping over snacks at the bar, or paired with a full meal.
Ingredients:
- Tres Agaves Reposado
- Simple Syrup
- Cointreau
- Orange juice
Deco Pizzeria
Deco Pizzeria’s Ritas are made with fresh lemon & lime juice, Agavales Tequila, Aguave Nectore & orange liqueur served in a glass lined with Twang Chile Lime Salt and garnished with a crispy pickled green bean. The restaurant will have $3 Frozen Deco Ritas ALL day in celebration of National Margarita Day!
Johnny Hernandez Restaurants
Home to some of the best Margaritas in town, Burgerteca, The Fruteria and La Gloria have no shortage of drinks on their menus. For San Antonians and tourists alike, the Johnny Hernandez Restaurants are a must visit destination.
Burgerteca
Burgerteca will be offering the following specials during National Margarita Day
- $5 House Margarita (rocks/ frozen)
- $7 Blood Orange Margarita with El Milagro Tequila (Image attached)
- $8 Top Shelf Milagro Margarita with Grand Marnier
- $9 Beer Ritas (XX or Tecate light w/ El Jimador Tequila)
- $9 Mango Ritas (Frozen Margarita with Blue Moon Mango)
The Fruteria
The Fruteria will be offering the following specials during National Margarita Day
- $5 House Margarita
- $6 Infusion Margaritas
- $6 Piña Rosa Margarita (Image attached)
La Gloria (Pearl & Dominion locations)
VOTED BEST MARGARITA IN SAN ANTONIO 2018, 2019 & 2020
La Gloria will be offering the following specials during National Margarita Day
- $7 Top Shelf Milagro Margarita Shakers (Rocks ONLY, While Supplies Last)
- $7 Milagro Red Margarita (Milagro Silver, Patron Citronge, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, sweet & salty citrus rim)
Ácenar
Ácenar is extending happy hour for National Margarita Day from 3 – 7 p.m. and will also be offering a reverse happy hour from 9 – 11 p.m.
Patron Mango Habanero Margarita
A spicy margarita that is complemented by the mango and lime juices blend.
- Patron Silver tequila
- Patron citronge
- Mango purée
- Lime juice
- Habanero simple syrup
The General Public
In honor of National Margarita Day, enjoy a $1 Sweet El Diablo Margarita Frozen from 3-6PM!
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Mix-Your-Own Margarita
Choose from 7 tequilas, 3 rims, 7 flavors & top it off with a Coronarita or Grand Mariner
They also have Coronaritas, Frozen Margaritas, Medal Margarita, Pineapple Margarita, Berry Margarita & a Patron Top Shelf Margarita
La Fonda on Main’s Santa Margarita
Description: This is a margarita like no other! Layered with unique and complex flavors, the Santa Margarita is both visually striking and satisfyingly refreshing. The sweetness of the St-Germaine pairs perfectly with the bitter Aperol, bringing all the flavors together.
Ingredients:
- Don Julio Silver
- St-Germaine Elderflower liqueur
- lemon and lime juice
- Agave
- Aperol
Cappy’s Restaurant’s Tijuana Julep
Description: The Tijuana Julep is a bright and modern twist on the original mint julep. The herbaceous fresh cilantro pairs well with the tequila and fruit flavors. Finished with a surprising sprinkle of jalapeño powder, this punch of flavor will leave you wanting more.
Ingredients:
- Jose Cuervo Gold
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime juice
- Orange juice
- Agave
- Jalapeño powder
Cappyccino’s Pink Sombrero
Description: The Pink Sombrero is an elegant margarita elevated by the distinctive grapefruit and vanilla flavors of Gran Centanario. Bubbly moscato is added in place of agave to provide sweetness and an invigorating dry finish.
Ingredients:
Gran Centenario Plata
Cointreau
Bubbly moscato
Lemon juice
Margaritaville’s Spicy Mango Margarita
This margarita was inspired by Mangonadas, that sweet taste of mangos with the fiery taste of chilies from the chamoy. Margaritaville brainstormed a margarita as close to that taste as possible and came up with: The Spicy Mango Rita.
Ingredients:
- Ole Smoky Mango Habanero Whiskey
- 1800 Reposado Tequila
- Margarita Mix
La Fogata’s Pomegranate Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounce, Casamigos Tequila Silver
- 1 ounce, Cointreau
- 1 ounce Pama liquor
- .5 ounce, Lime Juice
- 1 ounce Sweet & Sour
Mariachi Bar’s Big Red Rita
What’s more San Antonio than Big Red and Margaritas? Featuring their classic frozen margarita with an ice cold bottle of Big Red to top it off, the Big Red Rita is a house favorite.
Saltgrass
Saltgrass Steak House offers a refreshing Grilled Pineapple Margarita for National Margarita Day!
Ingredients:
- Don Julio Blanco Tequila
- Cointreau Orange Liqueur
- Liber & Co. Pineapple Gum Syrup
- Pineapple Juice
- Lime Juice infused with Grilled Pineapple
Casa Rio’s Skinny Margarita
Ingredients:
- Jimador Reposado
- Gran Gala Triple Orange Brandy
- Fresh squeezed lime juice
- Splash of OJ with a hint of Agave Nectar