
“Strawberries ripen at the beginning of summer in the UK in fact the moon that marks the first day of summer is called the Strawberry Moon,” he says. Thoughts of a summer barbecue stirred Holmes to create a drink that recreates it in drink form, with mezcal lending a meaty note and lacto-fermented strawberries offering sweetness and tang. Recipe courtesy of Cointreau and Alex Holmes of Tabula Rasa in Leeds, winner of the Cointreau United Kingdom Margarita Challenge 2023. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator, then strain out solids with a super bag or a cheesecloth. of rich simple syrup (2:1 ratio of sugar to water) into a container. Strain into the prepared glass.įor the orange juice and Campari milk punch:Īdd ½ oz. Add the first four ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Wet half of the outside rim of a tumbler with a lime wedge, coat in orange salt and set aside. orange juice and Campari milk punch (see Note) She even served us a creamy, luscious piece of orange cheesecake on the side, garnished with flecks of citrus peel.ġ ½ oz. Recipe courtesy of Cointreau and Laura Arrieta of Alquimico in Cartagena, winner of the Cointreau Colombia Margaria Challenge 2023Īrrieta’s drink was meant “to explore all the flavors and textures an orange can offer,” including the iconic liqueur, a milk punch with Campari and orange juice, and an orange salt rim. “In the end, it is a seductive and simple Margarita that earned its name.” This drink stays firmly in the Margarita lane, while picking up enticing tropical notes and a hint of salinity from the Manzanilla. Using a saucy name that translates to “bed of flowers”, Patton updated the rum- and Cognac- based French cocktail “Between the Sheets” with regionally appropriate Mexican ingredients. Recipe courtesy of Will Patton of Bresca and Jônt in Washington, D.C., winner of the Cointreau U.S. And check Cointreau’s website on May 5, when the winners will officially be announced. Throughout the course of the day and in conversations since, we gleaned the award-winning recipes and expert tips for the perfect Margarita from these global bar stars.
#Classic margarita recipe esquire full#
During another round, we judged how they created a drink on the fly with Cointreau, a pomelo distillate Quinton curated especially for the event and their choice of a table full of ingredients.

We listened to these amazingly talented bartenders share the inspiration behind their cocktails, watched as they measured, poured, mixed and garnished, and sipped to judge for flavor, balance, mouthfeel and authenticity. Shepherd, former creative director of the Little Red Door in Paris, and last year’s winner, Jonathan Stanyard, owner of The Bitter Gringo Co. I was asked to be a judge on the jury for this competition, along with Cointreau’s master distiller Carole Quinton, Rory J. The competition culminated in early April, when ten finalists from around the world convened at the Cointreau château in Angers, France to show off their winning drinks.
