Bebidas de Bridget

Well, it’s actually the El Minuto Margarita.  El Minuto Cafe is a Mexican restaurant in downtown Tucson.  It wasn’t happy hour, per se, but the Margs were only five or six dollars… and we got free chips and salsa!

Yeah, so I was more excited about the salsa than the margaritas.  I got a plain ol  tequila margarita on the rocks.  It was served in a small glass cup.  I would have liked it to come in a big fancy margarita glass, but hey, at least there was free salsa.  My friend Sara got a blended strawberry margarita.  It was great.  That’s what I’m ordering next time.

And yes, there will be a next time.  It wasn’t like it was a “bad margarita.”

And the salsa was spicy with few chunks – my favorite. Plus, the service was great.  Our waiter was funny and friendly from the moment we walked in, he checked on us at the perfect intervals, and he was happy to get us more salsa.  We got a cup of the tortilla soup too, and it was delicious.  Lots of tortilla strips, avocados, and a huge bubble of melted cheese in the bottom of the bowl.  I’m ordering that next time, too.

For this very stressful time of the year, I leave you with a quote by Jimmy Buffett himself, “If life gives you limes, make margaritas.”

Tequila happens to be a favorite alcohol of mine.  It is a main ingredient in many icy drinks (great for summers in Arizona), it goes down easily, and it provides a great buzz.  The drink of the week is a shot of Tequila.  I forced some friends to contribute their drinking talents for the sake of my blog, and they happily accepted the task.

Ingredients:

Tequila (I called upon my good friend Jose)

Salt

Lime slices

You may not be aware, but there are very specific directions for taking a tequila shot.  It is highly important to follow these directions in the order given.

1. Cut the lime into slices and give everyone a slice.

2. Pour the shots up the rim of the shot glasses.

3. Lick the top of your hand between your thumb and forefinger.

4. Pour salt on the same part of your hand.

5. Cheers!

6. Lick the salt, take the shot, and bite the lime slice. (Yes, this should all be done in ONE speedy last step.)

Now I suppose step 3 can be modified, but it is generally accepted by the tequila-drinking world to put the salt on this part of your hand.  It is not unlikely that you would be ridiculed for putting it anywhere else.  By the way, I like to use lemon-flavored salt.  You can get it at general markets, like 17th Street Market in Tucson.

Also, the “Cheers!” step is not completely necessary, but it is fun and really helps with the momentum of the shot.

Salud!

I’m finally getting back on the blog horse this week and I am making a tried and true favorite of mine.  It is a Tequila Sunrise.

All the recipes I found online were almost the same, but the general directions I always follow go like this:

1. Fill a glass with ice cubes

2. 1.5 shots of tequila (2 oz.)

3. Twice as much orange juice if you are eyeing it (4 oz. if you want to be precise)

4. Stir it all up

5. Add about a good splash of grenadine (1 oz.) 

6. Enjoy! (With a lime wedge and a cherry if you have them on hand)

If you want to experience the full “sunrise effect,” it is important to add the grenadine AFTER stirring the other ingredients together.  The grenadine will sink to the bottom and rise back to the top.  I was hoping to post the “sunrise” in video form, but my camera was injured in a Spring Break-related accident.  This is also why the quality of my pictures is lacking – I used my camera phone.

Like many cocktails, a Tequila Sunrise is better as cold as possible.  I recommend keeping tequila in the freezer when you have the space.

Also, if you looked very closely at the picture of ingredients you will see that I didn’t even manage to follow my own recipe.  I added pineapple juice that I happened to have in the fridge, and it was – of course – delicious.  This is not to say, though, that it is better than the original recipe.  A classic is a classic.

“Take it easy, take it easy, don’t let the sound of your own

wheels make you crazy”

– The Eagles

The drink of the night is called a Tequila Collins.

This is a very simple recipe, and all the ingredients are things you probably already have in your kitchen.  This, and the fact that the main ingredient is tequila, makes this drink great for getting tipsy in a hurry.

Here is the recipe I used:

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tsp. powdered sugar

2 oz. tequila (= 1.5 shots)

Club soda

Do the hokey pokey, turn it all around (with lots of ice), and that’s about all it is.  All the recipes I found online said to add wedges of lemon and lime, and a cherry for garnish.  Well I had blood oranges, so that is what I used.  (Other than that, I followed the recipe – exactly!)

The consensus is… this drink is STRONG.  I actually didn’t like it on first sip (and I love tequila).  My tester, Sara, liked it and said, “It tastes like tequila.”  And a couple sips later, “I’m already feeling tipsy!”

And that’s exactly how it is.  The more I drank, the better it tasted.

Here is a video to show you exactly how it is done.

“Get up and dance, get up and smile, get up and drink to the days that are gone in the shortest while.”

– SimonFowler

Eww.  That sounds really gross.

The drink is called a Michelada.  It is a mix between a Bloody Mary and a beer.  Hence, the title.

I found the recipe on NocheLatina.com, although there are many varying recipes elsewhere.

Ingredients:

(about) 1 Tbsp. Lime juice
(about) 1 Dash of salt
(about) 2 Dashes of Cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank’s RedHot)
(about) 2 Dashes of Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins)
(about) 1 Bottle of Mexican beer (I used Dos Equis and Corona Extra)                                    Lots of Ice

This recipe is all about personal preference.  I used extra hot sauce and extra lime, because those are my favorites.

I also used (about) 1 Dash of Kikkoman Soy Sauce to give it more flavor.  You didn’t think I could follow a whole recipe did you?  I got the idea of soy sauce from other sites’ Michelada recipes – there is some method do the madness.

Directions:

Mix altogether.  Trust your instincts.  Use more of your favorite ingredients until it’s perfect.

Overall, the drinks were alright.  I enjoy a spicy Bloody Mary more than a Michelada, but hey, I still drank them.  I even went through the trouble of rimming the glasses with salt, so I couldn’t let them go to waste.  The salt, by the way, made all the difference.

As for the beers, Corona is usually my Mexican beer of choice.  I was feeling extra spontaneous, though, and got Dos Equis also.  I was glad that the crazy side of me

The Dos Equis Michelada was tastier, but I did drink both.

showed itself while I stood there in the beer aisle of the grocery store – the Dos Equis Michelada was excellent.   (Those cerveza websites are worth checking out).

“A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure.”               – Czech Proverb quote

At 8am this morning I got to my business class to find out it was cancelled.

Ugh, I got out of my cloud of a bed for nothing. I’ll go to the grocery store now so that I can get drink supplies and get my blog done before midnight for once.

At the grocery store I ended up getting fresh tulips, two packs of chip clips, four fresh bagels and a reusable grocery tote. I looked all over, no watermelon.  (I was planning on making non-alcoholic watermelon “Aguas Frescas.”)

I’ll go home and eat these bagels, get my coffee fix, and go to another grocery store.

…8 hours later I left Border Beat with every intention of going straight to the grocery store as soon as I get to my car.  My roommate had just finished making an early dinner when I got home.

I didn’t end up getting to Super Target until 8pm.  By this time I decided I needed a drink – why would I make any non-alcoholic drink, ever?

After searching every aisle for Club Soda, the only ingredient in a Tequilla Collins that I didn’t already have, I grabbed two bags of Aguas Frescas mix.  I left Super Target with $40 of necessary items, such as marshmallows and Rice Krispies cereal. No Club Soda.

There’s no excuse for Super Target not to have Club Soda.

Anyways, ever since I started this blog, every time I Google, “drinks from the border,”Aguas Frescas came up, but I was never interested.  You know, because of the no-alcohol thing.

I tried Horchata and Mango flavored mixes.

The recipe was simple – 2 Tbs. mix

9 oz water (or add some sweetened condensed milk to the Horchata)

Cinnamon to taste

I wanted to try it both with and without milk (regular milk because I could never follow a recipe perfectly)

The general consensus between me and my tolerant friends was that the Horchata with milk was the best, the mango was good, and the Horchata with no milk was kinda gross.

We may have eaten the better part of a tin of Rice Krispie Treats.  This is my friend Jenn, she drank the Aguas Frescas and ate the Rice Krispie Treats. Clearly.

I grew up in the Phoenix area. The best part of going to school so close to home is the ease of going home when you want. The worst part is the ease of going home when your parents want.

My dad celebrated his 50th birthday this weekend in Cave Creek, and being the wonderful daughter I am, I drove up to make an appearance at the party.

As much as I didn’t want to make the drive, my dad’s ability to party impressed me.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the guest of honor was ready for action when I got home.  My dad grabbed a cup, and introduced himself to Mr. Margarita.  

Margaritas were the obvious drink choice for a Southwest-themed party, complete with taco buffet, rice and beans, and fiesta colors everywhere.

Always welcoming, sure to fuel interesting conversation, and the heartbeat of any good party, I have determined that Mr. Margarita is the most necessary party guest.

Mr. Margarita is quite self-sufficient and requires little attention.  When you rent the machine, you also get a 5 gallon bucket for mixing, margarita mix, cups, a cart for the machine and extension cords, if necessary.

Step 1 – Start with one bottle of Mr. Margarita Mix  

Step 2 – Add 2 or 3 liters of tequila

Step 3 – Fill the rest of the bucket with water (up to the red line)

Step 4 – Pour mixture into the margarita machine

Step 5 – Poof! Frozen margaritas are ready.  Rim your glass with salt and enjoy

Not only does Mr. Margarita come with free perks, but also, the company often offers delivery and clean up services.  Does throwing a party get any easier than that?

I’d allow margaritas at my party even if I had to clean it up myself.

The party turned out to be much more entertaining than I expected.  Alcohol, Depends diapers, and Ginkgo Biloba are just some of the amusing gifts Dad received.

He ended up going out dancing and came home at 2 am to find me already passed out on the couch. Who’s the party animal now?

“If life gives you limes, make margaritas.”

– Jimmy Buffett

For this week’s recipe adventure I made a Paloma.  Consider yourself forewarned: this is a tequila cocktail.  I highly recommend it.

I got the recipe from About.com http://cocktails.about.com/od/tequilarecipes/r/paloma_tequila.htm

Ingredients:

2 oz blanco or reposado tequila (or ¼ cup)

6 oz fresh grapefruit soda (or ¾ cup)

1/2 oz lime juice (1 tbsp.)

salt for rimming (optional)

… So my grapefruit soda (whatever that is) wasn’t fresh, but Squirt is delicious.

Preparation:

1 – Rim a collins glass with salt.

2 – Fill the glass with ice and add the tequila and lime juice.

3 – Top it off with grapefruit soda.

(4 – Add a lime wedge.)

I, not being capable of following a recipe all the way through, added more lime than what was called for, and a splash of citrus-lime Club Soda.

It was a hit.  My friend actually took it in a to-go cup when she got picked up from my apartment.  Probably not the smartest idea, but the heart wants what it wants.  It was refreshing, made me a little happier, and it would be an excellent choice for a summer poolside cocktail.

“I feel sorry for people who don’t drink.  When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.”                                 –      Frank Sinatra

Stay tuned for next week’s experiment, happy drinking!

So I thought I would start off with a fairly simple drink, a mango version of the well-known Margarita.  Um yeah, the joke was on me.

Here’s the recipe I used.

Ingredients:

3 ripe mangoes (They should feel like a ripe avacado.  On the other hand, the softer the mango, the easier it is to peel)

1/3 cup lime juice

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup tequila…

3 tablespoons sugar

3 cups ice cubes

Directions:

1. Seed and peel mangoes. Slice half of a mango into wedges; set aside. Cut remaining mangoes into cubes.

Ahem, have you ever seeded and peeled mangoes? This was the most difficult, and funniest part of the whole process.  I peeled the mangoes before seeding, but I quickly learned it may have been easier to seed first.  I find peeling potatoes to be kinda fun, and peeling a mango was very similar, but much more slippery.  Much.

A mango seed happens to be the whole length of the mango.  If you forget this little fact you, like me, may be very frustrated when you try to cut it just like you would cut any normal fruit, and can’t even get the knife through the mango.  I recommend holding the mango upright on the cutting board, and cutting downwards all the way around.  I didn’t even worry about the wedges and cubes the recipe called for, by time I figured out the mango seed it was too late for any purposeful mango shapes.

2. In a blender, combine cubed mango, lime juice, orange juice, tequila, and sugar. Cover and blend until smooth. With blender running, add ice cubes, half at a time, blending until slushy. Pour mixture into margarita glasses.

This I can do.  I will take this opportunity, though, to tell you that I have extreme difficulties following a recipe.  Not because I can’t read and follow directions, but because I am always under the mind set that adding my own personal tweaks and flare will make the recipe much better.  Either that or, being a college student, I am more likely to work with the ingredients I have than to go out and get the right ones.

That being said, instead of orange juice, I used Orange-Mango juice.  Lovely.  And more tequila than the recipe called for…. lovely.

3. Garnish glasses with mango wedges.

Oops.  No garnish available, just mango guts.  Oh well – I decorated with drink umbrellas, of course.

The orange mango juice was a fabulous tweak, if I do say so myself.  I recommend adding a little more than what is called for.  And the tequila portions really depend on the audience.  Sara said sometimes she only tasted tequila, and Dustin wished he could taste more tequila.

All in all, the drinks were a hit (either that or my kind friends gave the drinks to Piper the dog when I wasn’t looking).  They were deliciously fruity and refreshing, and everyone seemed a little more fun after a couple sips.

I will end with a quote:

To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.
Homer Simpson

Next week, I’ll try Tequila Paloma!

My name is Bridget Miller.  I am a journalism major with a minor in business, and I am graduating from the University of Arizona in May.  I am writing this blog for a class I am taking called Border Beat.  I have most of my journalism experience in print and broadcast, and I am taking this class to expand my online writing experience.

Continuing with the class’s theme of the border, my blog is about Mexican drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.  I will make or buy a new drink every week and blog about the experience.  If there is a specific drink any of my readers (aka Jay and other Border Beat students) would like me to try out, please let me know and I will make sure to try it.

Enjoy!