A Holiday for Margaritas? Could it Get Any Better? Well Actually...

Let low calorie, high fun maragaritas be a part of your National Margarita Day celebration this Wednesday, February 22. Go back to the roots of this historical day -- when real margaritas were made with nothing more than fresh squeezed limes, triple sec or cointreau, and tequila. 

Except now we know better than we did in the 1930's -- we subsitute natural sweeteners like Agave Nectar or Stevia for syrupy, sugar-laden triple sec. And we toast with a second Margarita, having saved 45 carbs and over 200 calories (as compared to sugary and artifical mixers).

So, if it's possible to make this fabulous day any better, we just did. Drink well!

Better Than Ever Margarita

2 oz. tequila

1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

3/4 oz. agave nectar (or simple stevia syrup)

Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker. Add 1/2 cup of ice. Shake vigorously and strain into margarita glass over ice. Garnish with lime wheel.

For more remakes of already fabulous drinks, just without all the calories, sugar, guilt and accompanying big-girl pants, visit www.liquorchick.com

Margarita Takes It All

The winner of the Margarita vs. Chocolate Martini competition is the Margarita.

Sorry Chocolate Martini, it was a close one - but in the end, the more experienced, more stable Margarita won out.

There's always next year.  And luckily, I know just how to make a low calorie, all natural margarita. I will be making one (or several) tonight to celebrate.

 

And Then There Were Two..

When last we met, I was talking about creating an NCAA-inspired drinks bracket, and match-by-match, I would whittle them down to the Championship Cocktail Tip-off. Well tonight, April 4, 2011 is the big night. In about twenty minutes, to be exact.

 

I have done some comprehensive research over the past two weeks, asking friends, coworkers and strangers alike what their favorite cocktails are. I knew that I could recreate any of their drink seeds with a lower calorie, lighter version, so I didn't ask them to stick to healthy recipes -- that would be my job after the Championship teams, I mean drinks, were determined.

 

The Sweet Sixteen included some off-the-beaten-path yet much beloved concoctions like The Sidecar (basically a margarita, but with brandy instead of tequila) and Mai Tai (it's barely spring in New England - not quite Mai Tai weather, but this definitely got plenty of votes - probably based on alcohol strength alone).  They didn't make it to the Elite Eight though.

 

Those lucky drinks were: The Margarita, The Cosmopolitan, The Manhattan, Strawberry Daiquiri, Madras, Chocolate Martini, Gin & Tonic, and The Old Fashioned.

 

A few drinks, votes and hangovers later, we came up with our Final Four: Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Gin & Tonic, and Chocolate Martini.

 

And tonight, the final match-up is: Margarita vs. Chocolate Martini.  Who will win??? Two different types of sweet drinks pitted against each other.  Each has their frenzied following.  And each can be made healthier in the Liquor Chick lab than they would be anywhere else you might order one. 

 

The pros: Margarita is great for summer afternoons on the deck, and serves as a kind of thirst quencher.  It can be made many different ways (with or without triple sec; some have orange juice; salt or not; shaken or blended)

 

Chocolate Martini is definitely a sipping kind of cocktail.  It is generally an after-dinner cocktail.  It can be creamy or clear, depending on the preferred ingredients.  It is more of a winter drink, which people order as a way to warm up.

 

Two very different drinks.  Two very different teams about to tip-off. Who will win? And how close will it be? Start pouring, watch the four quarters, and check back for the results.  Oh, and please vote for your team below, by leaving a comment.

 

Margarita vs. Chocolate Martini. Please stand for the National (drinking) Anthem...

 

 

Chocolate Martini....

 

(photo courtesy of Getty images)

 

VS.

 

 

Is that an "M" for "Margarita"?

 

(photo courtesy of Sportscape TV)