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It’s a bold headline, but I’m willing to risk my reputation on this: below, the only margarita recipe you’ll ever need. I think this at-home marg is better than about 90% of the margs you’ll find out on the town, and at least in the same register as the elite, top 10% percentile. I’ve had friends write to me out of the blue saying “just thinking about one of your margs,” and once, we had friends over for a taco dinner, and one of them asked me to demonstrate how to make it twice in a row, mainly because he wanted seconds, and then thirds.
Magpie Margarita
2 oz blanco tequila (I like G4, but Espolon is another favorite, and less expensive — has a vegetal pepperiness I like)
3/4 oz Cointreau
1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice (non-negotiable, must be fresh squeezed; for best results, strain the lime juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove all pulp)
1/4 oz agave (I go a hair over the 1/4 oz line when measuring because it’s difficult to get every last drip of agave out of the jigger)
1/8 cup salt mixed with a pinch of sugar
Pour the salt-sugar mixture onto a small, flat plate. While squeezing the limes, reserve one juiced lime and rub it around the rim of your rocks glasses. Then invert the glass onto the salt-sugar plate to rim it. Fill with ice and place glasses in the freezer.
Pour tequila, cointreau, lime juice, and agave into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 13-15 seconds. The shaker should be frosty on the outside, and your hands should be very cold. Strain into frosted, salt-rimmed glasses.
Enjoy!
*Note: A standard set of cocktail tins can easily make these in batches of two at a time. Just double all ingredients. I shared all my favorite cocktail gear here, but we like the weighted cocktail tins from Koriko (large, small); the angled jigger from OXO; and the OXO strainer.
**Above, I’m serving our margaritas in Half Past Seven’s starry night rocks glasses. They just released in a bunch of fun colors. These are the perfect marg class IMO — I love the heft and the thick lip!
Post-Scripts.
+More great cocktail recipes here, here, here, here.
+Kitchen gadgets and gizmos we love.
+The stove works for you, and other lessons learned from cooking and entertaining.
Shopping Break.
+Have been wearing these woven dad sandals a lot this week. So fun and surprisingly comfortable. Upgrade picks: these LRs, these Pradas, these Sandros. If you’re over dad sandals and are intrigued by the fisherman sandal trend, DV has you covered there, too. (Upgrade pick: Prada.). Final note on DV: love their platform sandals, which remind me of the Chloe Namas (<<somehow 30% off when added to bag, as are their popular sneakers!)
+OK, I ordered both the VB shorts and the Agolde ones I was talking about here and loved them both! I sized up one size in both for a looser fit and would advise doing the same. I am definitely keeping the Agolde ones (tags are already off and I wore them out and about this week), but also love the VBs…just don’t know that I need two pairs of white/off-white jean shorts and think the Agoldes are more versatile. The fit is SO GOOD. I swear I tried these on a few years ago and hated the way they looked on me. I love them now! Strongly rec you add to your summer wardrobe.
+I wore my Agolde shorts this week with my denim Ferazia VB blazer (available on TRR here, or in a chic black lace on sale here; similar denim collarless blazer option here) and my Margo tee. I meant to update you on the COS tee everyone has raved about — it runs SO short. And I am short! Would not advise for anyone taller than me — I find I’m just tucking and re-tucking all day long, and it’s already been demoted in my t-shirt drawer. I prefer my Margo day in and day out!
+Speaking of the Margo, Leset released this tee in a maxi tee dress format!
+The Agolde shorts would be so cute styled with this just-launched textured lady jacket from J. Crew. (I’m kind of dying over the idea of pairing it with the matching skirt?! Also love in red?! AHHH.)
+Which brings me to: J. Crew’s new arrivals are incroyable. LOVE the aforementioned textured lady jacket, this gorgeous linen midi, these pants in the stripe, this puff-sleeved top, and this cap-sleeve top, which feels like such a clever twist on the basic white tank we’re all reaching for when styling statement pants / skirt!
+Speaking of basic white tanks: this one is a good one. It’s a good thickness with a nice, tight weave.
+I have a couple of items sitting in my cart at Vuori: this bra (love the neckline), another one of these Halo crews (I love this as a top layer over a tank top — perfect weight and shape), and maybe these bike shorts? Bike shorts look so cute on other women but I’ve never found a pair I really love. I’m guessing Lululemon would be a safe bet here — I noticed they have different lengths and great colors in their amazing Align material! Do you have any bike shorts you love?
+I did end up ordering a few of the Negative pieces in the fun maritime stripe. For context: I solicited Magpie input on the best undergarments, and the results are here. I included two of my favorites: Negative’s whipped boy shorts — spendy for underwear but I promise they’ll be the ones you reach for first after laundry day — and these inexpensive racerback bralettes, which work with so many necklines / armhole situations and are ultra-comfortable. Then Laura Reilly wrote about building a “no skips underwear drawer” and I decided I should just order myself more of the Negative underwear I love! I also ordered the scoopneck top and bra, all in the maritime stripe.
+The colors in this Zimmermann are beyond. Imagine with loose hair and a strappy flat sandal.
+Earlier this week, I raved about the Crown Affair mask and now I want to try more of their products, including this dry shampoo that several people I trust have been talking about enthusiastically. However (!!!), I just discovered Vegamour’s Dry Shampoo on the rec of Emese Gormley and I was totally blown away. It really, really, really works. I have been using everyone’s favorite Living Proof dry shampoo (I discovered this via the flood of recommendations that came from you Magpies!), but I have started to really hate its smell. I’m not normally sensitive to scent but I cannot STAND that one?! I even started looking into hair fragrance to mask it (this was sitting in my cart until I realized I was being kind of insane about the smell of the dry shampoo). Anyway, Vegamour’s works incredibly well — dare I say better than LP? — and the smell is more tolerable. It’s currently on sale for 25% off. Strongly rec!
+Metier’s tote bags are beyond gorgeous, and so unexpected. I’ve never seen one “out in the wild”!