Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This might feel like another "excuse to get drunk" type of holiday, but it's really a commemoration of the 1862 battle of Puebla (Thank you Wikipedia). Never heard of it? I'm sure it's a fascinating war saga but that hardly relates to our purpose here so lets just make some Margaritas!

We'll make two today. The first being the original, which was invented or came into vogue some time around 1938-1940. Like many older recipes it's hard to say just when and how they came to be. I like to think, much as today, these cocktails represent a trend and trying to figure out exactly who or what started the trend would be impossible.  What is clear is that when it came into fashion, the ingredients were just Tequila, Triple sec and lime. That's it.

I've clearly taken some liberties.
The 40 lbs of salt was just for the photo.

Margarita 1
1 1/2 oz Tequila
3/4 oz Triple sec
3/4 oz fresh lime juice



Method 
Pour all ingredients into a shaker, fill 3/4 with ice, shake vigorously for 30 seconds, strain into chilled coupette, (adding salt didn't come into fashion until much later)








A Great Margarita Needs Real Limes!
It might be a good moment to mention as well that the price of limes has not gone down, that basket of green-gold you see there will put you out a few bucks. Prices in Toronto right now range from $.33 to $1.00 each. Fresh lime juice is always best. Whether or not the lime crisis is a real thing the new prices most certainly are. This however, is about a celebration, so go ahead and splurge!


Our second version is something closer to what you might find in a cocktail bar today. In keeping with the original but rounding out the flavour, it's still a very firm drink.




Margarita 2
1 1/2 oz Tequila
3/4 oz dry Curacao
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz Agave nectar



Method
Pour all ingredients into a shaker, fill 3/4 with ice, shake vigorously for 30 seconds, strain into highball filled with cracked ice.
You already splurged on the limes so go ahead and use one for garnish.






Are you going to spend the big bucks for limes this summer?

Cuba Libre Taste Test

Esto no es un Anuncio

This week I asked our Twitter and Facebook friends where we could get Mexican Coca-Cola in Toronto. Trevor needed it for one of our summer projects and since we don't normally use commercial soda we were a little surprised to find out we had stumbled on to some controversy.

I did a little research and apparently, Mexican Coke used to be made with cane sugar instead of the sugar/glucose-fructose which is in the American and Canadian versions. It's also sold in very pretty glass bottles.

We called Coca-Cola Canada to find a source for the Mexican version, the polite and helpful service employee had no knowledge of any Mexican Coke in Canada at all or what ingredients might be in it.

Um, OK.


We were really just trying to make some cocktails, we're not investigatory journalists. Although, Trevor does regularly accuse me of having lunch with Jesse Ventura and Oliver Stone...

I read several news stories about a formula change in November of 2013. The Hecho En Mexico version to be sold domestically would be switched to HFCS. The American exports made in Mexico would retain the sugar.

I'm not sure if the product that we purchased in Canada was the Mexican version intended for Americans or Mexicans. There is no way of knowing how it might have ended up on store shelves in Toronto. It was made in Mexico but the nutritional information, including the list of ingredients was on a separate sticker that listed sugar second. The Canadian version lists sugar/glucose-fructose as the second ingredient. The rest of the Mexican bottle is designed with (enamel?) paint and lists no ingredients.

We decided that we needed to have a taste test. I expected big things. We tried the Mexican version and Canadian version in both cans and plastic bottles. We had them on their own and tried each in a Cuba Libre... I was all but certain that this was going to be the best rum and coke I'd ever had!

We couldn't taste anything different, I was so disappointed. I didn't even notice a difference in mouth feel or aftertaste. Nothing. Maybe we just don't drink enough Cola to really discern, but I could not taste it. It's not exactly the same thing but, it took years before I could taste difference between a rum produced in Guyana from one made in Puerto Rico. Perhaps I just need more practice.

Either way, it would be tough to know which version you're getting even in a bottle from Mexico and for the tiny amount I would ever drink, it's not worth it. Tell us what you think, is it worth the extra price, hassle and practice required?

Trev made these for a seminar in Mexico

Cuba Libre

4 oz Coca-Cola
1 1/2 oz white rum
1/4 oz fresh lime juice

Method
In a high ball filled with cracked ice, add rum and lime juice, top with cola








*These are just observations. I don't work for Coca Cola. I don't claim to have any knowledge about their company or products.*