Iceberg Margarita (Coronarita)

Can't decide between a cold beer and a sweet & salty margarita? An Iceberg Margarita (Coronarita) combines both for one cold, refreshing sip!

Yes it's true, a classic margarita can be made even better.... with beer!

Keith and I love a good margarita (especially our Blueberry Basil one). The fresh, crisp flavors of a "marg" on the rocks, lightly sweetened and served up in a salted-rim glass are enough to make my mouth water. We only recently discovered the magic that happens when you add a bit of beer to this already divine drink.

Ingredients:

• LIGHT BEER: (6 ounces): we like Corona Light, Trader José Light, or a Coronita
• TEQUILA: 2 ounces
• TRIPLE SEC: 1 ounce
• FRESH SQUEEZED LIME JUICE: 1 ½ ounces
• FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE: ½ ounce
• ICE: ½ cup
• SIMPLE SYRUP: 1 ounce. Use store bought or follow recipe below.
• CHILI LIME SEASONING: (we like this one from Trader Joe's) to rim glass.  Salt is optional.

Commonly known as a "Coronarita", this awe-inspiring cocktail seemed to demand our attention in recent months. Everywhere we went, we saw mini beer bottles (Coronitas) accessorizing our favorite drink; it became impossible to ignore. So on our recent vacation in Mexico, Keith asked our bartender to make him one. It took a few moments, but finally our new friend smiled with recognition: "you mean an Iceberg?" he said, in his beguiling Spanish accent. We watched in awe as he mixed the familiar ingredients (with lots of ice) in a blender and served it over just the right amount of cerveza. We were hooked at the first sip.

How to Make a Coronarita:

1. In a blender, combine ice, tequila, fresh lime juice, triple sec, orange juice, and simple syrup.
2. Blend until slushy.
3. Rub rim of 10 ounce glass with a lime wedge to wet.
4. Place Chili Lime Seasoning (or salt) onto plate and invert rim of glass onto plate to coat.
5. Pour 6 ounces of beer into the glass, then slowly pour blended margarita onto top of beer (the margarita floats on top of beer to resemble foam of beer).
6. Garnish with lime and enjoy.
7. Try stopping at one. We dare you

How to make Simple Syrup:

• heat ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
• Cool and store until needed.

I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing that we discovered the Iceberg Margarita on the second day of vacation, but it quickly became our drink of choice during our time in Mexico. The beer adds a bit of saltiness and punch; it balances the sweetness of the fresh lime and triple sec. Thankfully, Keith had lots of practice sampling this Iceberg drink, determined to re-create it upon our return home. He rimmed our glasses with Chile Lime Seasoning for that extra kick. Now that summer is here, he has perfected the recipe just in time for our Memorial Day cookout. I have a strong feeling that we will be enjoying these Iceberg Margaritas on our patio all summer long.

Expert Tips:

• Any light beer will work for this recipe, but we find that a pale, Mexican lager (like Corona) just tastes the best when combined with the Margarita flavor.
• If you don't have Chili Lime Seasoning, you can make your own by combining salt, chili powder and a dash of cayenne pepper. Remember to rim the glass with lime before dipping.
• using Margarita Mix is a good short cut. Just add tequila and ice to it in step 1.

More Refreshing Margarita Recipes:

Pink Señorita

Pink Pom Pom Margarita

Blood Orange Margarita

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