Fresh Citrus Margaritas

Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday,
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend.
Friday, Friday,
Gettin’ down on Friday…
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Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! We made it, the weekend is here! And what better way to celebrate than with Rebecca Black and a fresh citrus margarita? I tell ya, watching that music video pretty much requires an alcoholic beverage, so let’s get to it!
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Fresh Citrus Margarita | Once Upon a Recipe   Fresh Citrus Margarita | Once Upon a Recipe
I’ve spoken of my love for juicing a couple of times now, and I’ve shared a fresh juice cocktail once before (beet lemonade, anyone?). BUT. This one is my new favorite. I started by making a fresh citrus juice, which was inspired by one of the juices at Glow Juicery, a relatively new and totally amazing juicery here in Edmonton. (Seriously, if you live in Edmonton, check it out – the website lists their store location and other spots where you can find their juice). Their citrus glow juice is one of my favorites, and when I saw the big display of beautiful citrus fruit at my grocery store the other day, I knew I had to try to recreate it at home.
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Fresh Citrus Margaritas | Once Upon a Recipe   Fresh Citrus Margaritas | Once Upon a Recipe
Fresh Citrus Margarita | Once Upon a Recipe
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And then I decided to add a little booze. You know, just for kicks. The result? A wickedly delicious cocktail that packs a nutritional punch! Plus, how pretty?!
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Fresh Citrus Margaritas | Once Upon a Recipe   Fresh Citrus Margaritas | Once Upon a Recipe

Fresh Citrus Margarita

The first time I made these margaritas, I rimmed the glass with sea salt. However, because the margarita itself is not super sweet (no simple syrup here!), I found the sea salt to be too much. However, because the margarita is quite tart, the sugar complimented it perfectly. The margaritas pictured were made with sea salt. In any case, do whatever floats your boat! Makes 4 margaritas.

For the fresh citrus juice:

Makes about 24 ounces, depending on the size of your fruit and your juicer.

4 oranges, skins removed (I used Cara Cara)

3 lemons, skins removed

1 small knob of ginger

8 oz. coconut water

Juice the oranges, lemons, and ginger. Mix together with the coconut water.

For the margaritas:

6 oz. fresh citrus juice

1.5 oz. tequila

0.5 oz. triple sec

Pinch of sea salt

Granulated sugar

Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice (or just mix by hand if you don’t have a cocktail shaker). Rim your class with an orange slice and dip into the sugar. Fill your glass with ice, then add the cocktail mixture. Garnish with an orange slice. Enjoy!

Pair these margaritas with a big bowl of guac and your favorite tortilla chips and you’ve got yourself a happy hour to start the weekend off right. Happy Friday, loves!
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PS. Friday parody. I laughed so hard.
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Summatime! | Red Wine Sangria

‘Tis officially summer, friends! And I am feelin’ it. All I want to do lately is sit on a patio with friends, soak up the sun, and drink delicious cold beverages. Oh, and play frisbee. And wear summer dresses. And eat corn on the cob and barbequed chicken. And have bonfires. And have sing-a-longs around the bonfire! Oh, and go to the beach. Too bad there are no beaches around here. Not a one. I feel so deprived.

Thankfully, I don’t require a beach to have a good time. However, I do require alcohol…

Just kidding.

Although I’m pretty sure that any party/get-together/summer day/summer evening/work day would be made better by a glass of this sangria. You all know I love red wine. But add in brandy, triple sec, and fruit? That’s a whole other love affair. This is good stuff people. But I urge you, drink responsibly. A batch of this delicious nectar can go down a wee bit too easy, if you catch my drift. Now make yourself some and enjoy! Happy Summer!

Red Wine Sangria (adapted from Bobby Flay, The Food Network)

Serves 8 (can easily be halved, but why would you want to?)

2 bottles Spanish red wine

1 cup brandy

1/2 cup triple sec

1 cup orange juice

1 cup pomegranate juice

2 oranges, sliced (plus more, for garnish)

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup blackberries

Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, if possible – however, I enjoyed this 6 hours later and it tasted darn good to me! Obviously, the longer that the flavors can marinate together, the better. Garnish with sliced oranges.