Viva la margarita!

MARC KADISH

Owner of Sunset Cantina, 916 Commonwealth Ave., Allston

TEQUILA OF CHOICE: “We sell a lot of Patrón, it seems to be the tequila of choice. At the same price point there are so many other alternatives though. It’s a shame that people buy the same ones when they can try something new.’’

KEY TO A GOOD MARGARITA: “To me it’s the sour mix. We use a lemonade base with fresh squeezed limes to give it a fresh flavor. Some people grew up drinking that powdered sour mix and they consider that to be the taste that they know.’’

SECRET INGREDIENT: “We’re using the agave sweetener, made from a tequila agave plant. That’s one way to get some sweetness into it. There’s a new pink port that we’re throwing a splash of into our margaritas. Honey is a good thing that can go in there if you dissolve it right. The creativity is endless in terms of how far people want to go.’’

MO EL ZEIN

Co-owner of Masa,

350 Cambridge Road,

Woburn

TEQUILA OF CHOICE: “My favorite to use in a margarita is a reposado, which is a tequila that is aged between two months and a year. Reposados in my opinion make the best margaritas because they aren’t as peppery and spicy as silver tequilas, and not as smooth and refined as añejos. Chamucos Reposado is my favorite type of a reposado. They’re aged in former whiskey and bourbon barrels that have been shipped down to Mexico from Kentucky. They take on the characteristics of the oak and the sugary flavor of caramel and nutmeg that you find in whiskey and bourbons.’’

KEY TO A GOOD MARGARITA: “It’s really about the portions that you use of each thing. When making a good margarita, use the right orange liqueur - Triple Sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier. Cointreau isn’t as sugary as Triple Sec, it’s a better quality liqueur to have in a drink and not as sweet and refined as Grand Marnier. Using Cointreau makes the perfect margarita. Fresh lime juice is very important, too.’’

SECRET INGREDIENT: “I do a habanero watermelon margarita. You use a good two ounces of real watermelon cubes, seedless and pureed, strain it, then use that juice, habanero-infused tequila and Cointreau and touch of lime juice and agave nectar. It’s a lot of ingredients, but you need a lot to tone down that heat level. It has a faint after effect that creeps down your throat.’’

SHERRI WHITE

Bartender at La Paloma,

195 Newport Ave., Quincy

TEQUILA OF CHOICE: “We use Sauza Gold for our house margarita. If you’re getting a straight margarita that’s the best. We use the white tequila if we’re making a flavored one like with raspberry or Blue Curaçao.’’

KEY TO A GOOD MARGARITA: “The sour mix is the key to a good tasting mix that’s not too sour or sweet. Having it mixed the proper way, that makes all the difference in the world. If the sour mix isn’t good you can have the best tequila in the world but it won’t taste right. We mix it by hand at the restaurant here as opposed to buying it by the gallon.’’

SECRET INGREDIENT: “My favorite margarita that we have is called a Pepper Rita. It’s got white tequila, Triple Sec, jalapeños and red serrano peppers. It’s got like a sweet and spicy type taste with the peppers, and the Triple Sec. The fresh jalapeños are marinated in the tequila. It bites!’’

WAYNE DUPREY

Director of Bars at Intercontinental Boston, including Sushi-Teq, 510 Atlantic Ave.

TEQUILA OF CHOICE: “My favorite is Cazadores Reposado. I like the balance of the way it’s aged in oak with the lime and syrup in a margarita. Most people don’t think oak and lime go naturally well together. It’s important to get the balance right. I’d probably use a nice middle end like a Herradura, or Don Julio Blanco if I was making margaritas for friends at home.’’

KEY TO A GOOD MARGARITA: “The key thing is the lime juice. It’s got to be fresh. It’s a painful task to squeeze a bunch of limes, but it makes a difference. A lot of places stick to Rose’s lime juice. To me it’s like a cardinal sin.’’

SECRET INGREDIENT: “Tequila has a pretty strong aroma and flavor profile. The lime juice cuts a lot of the harshness out of the tequila. Together it can be a little bitter sometimes. I like to sweeten it up with agave nectar. It tastes great and it adds more body to a margarita as opposed to just sugar or simple syrup.’’

BRIAN GAUDET

General manager and

bartender at Forest Cafe,

1682 Massachusetts Ave.,

Cambridge

TEQUILA OF CHOICE: “Milagro Reserva. It’s real smooth, almost a little smoky. That would be to drink straight. It would be a ridiculous amount of money in a margarita.’’ In that case, he uses Milagro Anejo. “It’s got a real smooth smokiness, and when you add the Grand Marnier it makes for a real tasty margarita.’’

KEY TO A GOOD MARGARITA: “The key is just to make a good, strong drink. You don’t want to overpower, but not too weak either. A good balance of alcohol to mix. Orange juice makes a big difference; it gives it a little sweetness and offsets the sour. Keep it simple.’’

SECRET INGREDIENT: “We just put out a black raspberry pomegranate margarita. It’s got muddled fresh blackberries, pomegranate liqueur, Gran Marnier, and sour mix. It’s got a lot of sweetness. We also have a purple margarita with Milagro Silver tequila, Chambord, Blue Curaçao, cranberry juice, and sour.’’

ANITA REGAN

Bar manager at Solea,

388 Moody St.,

Waltham

TEQUILA OF CHOICE: “We predominantly sell Patrón Silver, on its own or in a margarita. We do the Añejo, and Reposado too. It’s what people ask for the most, so that’s what we started carrying.’’

KEY TO A GOOD MARGARITA: “Fresh ingredients, I would say. Especially not using premix mixes; making things from scratch. Fresh lime, sugar. Cocktails to me are just like recipes in food, you use the best ingredients for food, you should use the best ingredients for cocktails.’’

SECRET INGREDIENT: “Agave nectar as the sweetener. My inspiration for margaritas is not too sweet, not too tart [and] with a little bit of attitude. Being both sweet and savory gives more character to it. For our Agave Margarita we use fresh lime and fresh oranges muddled, almost like a caipirinha or mojito.’’