NYC's 9 Best Margaritas
As if you needed an excuse to indulge in the ever-popular drink. This weekend is Cinco de Mayo, and we know just where to celebrate with that perfect blend of sweet, citrus, and tequila. By Jonathan Pogash & Selena Ricks Good.
Blueberry-Hibiscus Margarita
At Chef Sue Torres' Suenos, you can enjoy several fruit-flavored margaritas. Our favorite, the Blueberry-Hibiscus Margarita, seems just the thing for celebrating a day created to honor this drink. You'll taste a combination of Herradura reposado tequila, Cointreau, blueberry puree, hibiscus, and fresh lime juice. A deliciously fruity and floral variation that goes down like silk.
Broadway's Alibi
The Forty Four at the Royalton Hotel has worked up a fresh take on the margarita. It's called Broadway's Alibi and it's made with Silver Tequila, fresh carrot juice, grapefruit juice lemon and agave nectar - served on the rocks, with a twist of lime.
Classic Margarita
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that Anejo serves margaritas with Cointreu triple sec.
Anejo Tequileria in Hell's Kitchen serves up a traditional margarita using Milagro blanco tequila, Combier, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. This classic is done right - served with a salted rim, or not. While you're at it, indulge in their tequila flights, and perhaps any one of their Mezcal drinks.
La Dona Diva Margarita
La Dona Diva Margarita at La Palapa is for all those party animals out there. You'll enjoy the sweet and savory sensations of Corazon blanco tequila, cointreau, and hibiscus. You can also try a hibiscus tamarind margarita, if you're feeling a tad adventurous. And why not rim that drink with their house-made chili piquin salt?
Jenjimbre Margarita
In Park Slope, Brooklyn, you can get a great margarita at Fonda. One of their specialties is the Jenjimbre Margarita, a blend of Tanteo tropical tequila, cucumber ginger infusion, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice. The Tamarindo Margarita and Rosalita Margarita are also worth a try. Check out their daily happy hour for $5 drink specials.
The Kane
Catch, the newly opened Meatpacking District seafood restaurant, is serving up a margarita for the high rollers. Deemed the "Kane," this drink combines DeLeon Diamante tequila, pineapple, sage leaves, bell pepper powder, and Elamakule bitters - for $25 a glass. Order a crispy whole red snapper for two to share with your partner, and you'll be sure to impress.
Super Sized Margaritas
The goblet-sized frozen margaritas here are just $5 from noon to 7 p.m. daily, but for Monday and Tuesday madness, they stay $5 all night long. For the Cinco de May holiday, we recommend the La Mama ($15), 27 ounces of sweet frozen tequila goodness, because, hey - it's a special occasion, right?
Best known as the chain of inexpensive Mexican restaurants open late (until 5 a.m. on Thursdays - Saturdays) for when you have the munchies after a night of imbibing, the frozen margaritas here are cheap any time ($5 for lime, $6 for fruit flavors). Thanks to a double happy hour (11 a.m. - 6 p.m. and 1 - 4 a.m.), they drop to the even more budget-friendly price of $2.50 - $3. Along with the cactus-pear, other must-try flavors include strawberry and mango - sample them all while you scarf down tacos and enchiladas.
Frozen Margarita
On Thursdays, this Upper East Side bar with a arcade games and a pool table offers $6 margaritas (along with Cosmos and Appletinis) all night long. Better yet, check in on Facebook or Yelp and the bar will give you a free drink. Snap some photos with your friends in the photobooth in case you have trouble remembering just how much fun you had here.
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Jonathan Pogash, aka The Cocktail Guru, is a beverage consultant, writer, and educator.
