Blackberry Margarita – A Classic Cocktail With A Twist

In December 1953, Esquire magazine named the margarita as its "Drink of the Month," calling it nice to look at, exciting, and provocative. Since then, it hasn't changed much, but in the meantime a new model has arrived on the scene: the blackberry margarita – the perfect addition to a summer evening spent hanging out with your friends on the patio.

You'll Need (makes 3 glasses):

• 2 cups blackberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 lime
• 3 fl oz Cointreau
• 3 fl oz Grand Marnier
• 4 fl oz tequila
• 4 fl oz sugar syrup
• 3 tbsp sea salt

Here's How:

1. Let the blackberries, sugar and water simmer together in a saucepan for 10 minutes. Strain the contents of the pan through a sieve into a bowl and push the blackberries through the sieve. Leave the syrup to cool.
2. Pour the cooled blackberry syrup into a glass pitcher and add the juice from both halves of a lime, the Cointreau, the Grand Marnier, and the tequila, and mix everything together.
3. To serve in the traditional style, dip the rim of the glasses in the sugar syrup and then in the sea salt. Pour in the margarita and, last but not least, decorate the glass with a slice of lime and pop in a straw.

The original margarita consists of 50% tequila. This blackberry variation is obviously a little milder – and a little fruitier!