They may not be true Mexican drinks, but thank goodness someone north of the border invented the margarita – so refreshing on a broiling day, so tasty!

In order to make sure you serve up the ultimate margarita, begin with the tequila. This is the main ingredient and so you need to pay the most attention to the tequila.

Purchase the highest quality tequila you can: you should look on the label’s legend for the words “100% de agave.” If you can’t find tequila with this, then your second best bet is to find some that is 49 percent fermented cane sugar.

Depending on how “liquor-y” you want the margarita to taste, you may want to use triple sec (which is made from orange skins and has an alcohol content of from 15-30 percent) for less alcohol. Or if, you want more of “alcohol-ish” taste, opt for Cointreau, which is made from bitter as well as sweet orange skins and has a higher alcohol content (40 percent).

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need (makes one margarita):

• Half an ounce of tequila
• 5 ounces of triple sec or Cointreau
• One to 1.25 ounces of lime juice
• Salt (for the glass’ rim)

You then shake all of the ingredients (use cracked ice) in a cocktail shaker until the outside of the shaker frosts up. Then strain into a glass over ice and add a slice of lime for garnish.

Many people use a blender to mix the ingredients. But an ultimate margarita should be shaken with ice, not whirled in a blender (doing so can make the entire concoction freezing, dulling its flavor).

Whether you’re looking for some great cerveza (beer) or margaritas, Mattito’s delivers. Visit a Mattito’s location nearest you to grab an ice cold drink on a hot Texas afternoon or evening. We look forward to serving you.

"MargaritaReal" by Akke Monasso - I (Akke) created this work entirely by myself.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.