Margarita cocktail on a black backgroundPublished recipe

Classic tequila sour

Margarita

Earthy tequila sharpened by lime and orange liqueur.

Short answer

A classic Margarita is a shaken tequila cocktail built around lime and orange liqueur. Kokto’s published one-serving house build uses 50 ml blanco tequila, 25 ml triple sec and 25 ml fresh lime juice, with an optional half salt rim.
Time6 min
MethodShaken
GlassCoupe
LevelEasy
By Kokto EditorialCatalog reviewed Kokto governed catalogHow we review recipes

One serving

Ingredients

The parts column preserves the house balance when you scale. For accuracy, use ml or cl; oz values are practical decimal conversions.

Margarita ingredients in ml, cl, oz and parts
Ingredientmlclozparts
Blanco tequila50 ml5 cl1.7 oz2 parts
Triple sec25 ml2.5 cl0.8 oz1 part
Fresh lime juice25 ml2.5 cl0.8 oz1 part
SaltOptional pinchTo taste
Lime sliceOptionalGarnish

Method

How to make a Margarita

Keep the half salt rim optional: it lets each sip move between salted and unsalted edges.

  1. 01

    Chill a coupe glass. If using salt, run the optional lime slice around half the rim and dip only that side lightly in salt.

  2. 02

    Add 50 ml blanco tequila, 25 ml triple sec and 25 ml fresh lime juice to a shaker.

  3. 03

    Fill the shaker about two-thirds with fresh ice.

  4. 04

    Seal and shake hard for 10–15 seconds, until the shaker feels thoroughly cold.

  5. 05

    Remove any chilling water or ice from the coupe.

  6. 06

    Fine-strain the drink into the chilled glass.

  7. 07

    Add the optional lime slice and serve immediately.

Why this build works

Bright, tart and orange-led.

Kokto editorial taste profile for this house build. The scores are directional, not laboratory measurements or universal values.

Sweetness2 / 5
Sourness5 / 5
Bitterness1 / 5
Strength4 / 5
Freshness4 / 5

Kokto’s house specification gives lime juice and triple sec equal weight. That makes the drink more citrus-forward and orange-led than some drier classic specifications. Taste the lime before mixing: unusually sharp or muted fruit can change the balance.

Quick answers

Margarita questions

What is a Margarita made from?

In this Kokto build: blanco tequila, triple sec and fresh lime juice, plus optional salt and lime garnish.

Can I make it without a salt rim?

Yes. Salt is optional and the recipe remains complete without it.

Is the drink served over ice?

It is shaken with ice, then fine-strained into a chilled coupe without serving ice.

Can I replace triple sec?

A swap changes sweetness, orange intensity and often alcohol strength. Use a reviewed, directional substitution instead of assuming every orange liqueur is identical.

Evidence

Sources & editorial note

Kokto shows its own reviewed house build. The IBA link is a named style reference; the two specifications should not be treated as numerically identical.

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