Coconut Margarita Recipe

This tropical Margarita rendition from Los Angeles restaurant Mírate is made with coconut-washed reposado tequila, coconut cream, coconut liqueur, and contemporary lime juice. 

Mírate beverage director Maxwell Reis created this decadent variation as a tribute to El Cholo, L.A.’s first Mexican restaurant. The historic eatery, one of many oldest, family-run eating places within the metropolis, is credited with introducing restaurant-style burritos to the U.S. within the Thirties. The long-lasting location includes a blended Coconut Margarita on its menu, which Reis has had some expertise with.

“My pal Rob, who used to run Oy Bar, [and I] had ordered them sooner or later previous to a elaborate dinner,” says Reis. The 2 pals might have loved a couple of too many, and that fancy dinner was only a blur. It had been an inside joke between them since. “I made a decision to lean into the joke, and the Mírate Coconut Margarita was born.”

The drink quickly grew to become a fan favourite.

Since opening within the Los Feliz neighborhood in 2022, Mírate’s bar program has shortly turn into acknowledged as a pacesetter within the agave spirits area, that includes smaller, much less acknowledged producers and internet hosting academic tasting occasions with notable consultants. It was named as one of many High Bars within the U.S. on this 12 months’s F&W World Tastemakers Awards, and just lately ranked No. 12 by World’s 50 Greatest Bars in North America. 

Why the Coconut Margarita works

Although many affiliate coconut with Piña Coladas and rum cocktails, the marginally nutty, earthy, and tropical flavors pair particularly properly with a woodsy reposado tequila. 

“We use a gorgeous reposado from G4 [Tequila] that already has refined notes of toasted coconut from its barrel end,” says Reis. “[It] combines extremely properly with the toasted coconut infusion.” 

For the infusion, the tequila is “washed” with toasted coconut flakes in a single day, enhancing the pure coconut aromatics within the spirit. (The recipe featured right here has been simplified to make at dwelling.) For the coconut liqueur, Reis likes utilizing Kalani, a model that ferments contemporary coconut milk with a Mexican sugar cane rum base.

“Hilariously sufficient, [this cocktail] has 5 sorts of coconut built-in into it, so that you’ll discover it’s positively not your on a regular basis Coconut Margarita,” says Reis. “We make a house-made coconut cream integrating three totally different sorts of coconut, however you could possibly simply substitute in Coco Lopez [coconut cream] blended with coconut milk, or one other extra craft model of coconut cream.”

The results of all of that coconut is extra nuanced than you would possibly suppose. The daring cooked agave flavors from the reposado tequila lower by the luscious coconut cream, and freshly squeezed lime juice helps to brighten and steadiness the general sweetness. It’s layered, complicated, and pure trip in a glass.

“[This drink] was truly a part of the inspiration behind opening our new bar enterprise, Daisy Margarita Bar,” says Reis. 

Now, there are two locations in Los Angeles to do that visitor favourite. Or, you’ll be able to take a stab on the recipe right here and summon a tropical vacation from dwelling.