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This homemade margarita mix recipe will keep you from buying the store-bought stuff ever again! Made with freshly squeezed citrus fruits and a sweet simple syrup, it’s sweet, it’s sour, and will make the best margaritas to serve at your next shindig.
Homemade margarita mix just in time for Labor Day. Hooray!
I’ve never liked the flavor of store-bought sweet and sour because to me it’s chalky, tastes like chemicals, and, lawd have mercy, it gives me some heartburn.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I drank the stuff on occasion, but homemade sour mix is superior to store-bought and can bolster a plain old margarita into magic margarita status pretty pronto.
How to Make Homemade Margarita Mix
I’m not sure if this is just a Charleston thing, but we like to add a teensy tiny little splash of orange juice to our margaritas. It cuts the tanginess, gives it a touch of sweetness, and makes the bottled sour mix much more palatable. It also makes the homemade margarita mix a little extra special.
Only 5 simple ingredients are needed to make the best margarita mix:
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Sugar
- Water
Yes, you absolutely have to use freshly squeezed fruit juice. The bottled stuff just won’t do plus it defeats the purpose of making your own in the first place.
The Best Margarita Recipe
Of course, I couldn’t make a whole mess of margarita mix without also giving you the recipes for margaritas AND a pitcher of margaritas.
So what makes the best margaritas? Grand Marnier!
I mean, Labor Day, football, and the upcoming holidays are all reasons to make margaritas and partaaay.
Homemade Margarita Mix
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice 10-12 limes
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice 10ish lemons
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 oranges
The Best Texas Margaritas (serves 2)
- 2 shots (3 oz) gold tequila
- 1 shot (1.5 oz) Grand Marnier
- 3/4 cup Homemade Margarita Mix
- Fresh lime wedges
- kosher salt
Pitcher of Margaritas:
- 2 1/2 cups gold tequila
- 1 1/2 cups Grand Marnier
- 4-6 cups Homemade Margarita Mix to taste
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water in a large saucepan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Mix lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice in a large pitcher straining through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the pulp if desired. Stir in simple syrup and refrigerate until ready to use. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
The Best Texas Margaritas:
- Pour salt onto a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rims of two cocktail glasses, dip the rims in salt, then fill the glasses with ice.
- Combine tequila, Grand Marnier, and homemade margarita mix in a large cocktail shaker, and shake, shake, shake until well mixed. Pour the margarita evenly between the two glasses, garnish with fresh lime wedges, and serve!
Pitcher of Margaritas:
- Add all ingredients to the pitcher, stir, and serve in salt-rimmed glasses filled with ice and garnished with fresh lime wedges.
More Margarita Recipes…
- Melon Ball Margarita
- Cucumber Pineapple Margaritas
- Mango Margarita Cupcakes
- Blood Orange Strawberry Margarita
What do you think?