5:00 Fridays

Mac Daddy and our dear friend Shan share a birth date. Shan and her husband Chris were our travel pals back in the day. We whiled away many a day in a pleasant margarita induced stupor in Key West. Our favorite is from Willie T's. Mmmm....on the rocks, with salt. Followed by a heaping platter of chili cheese fries. Arteries, forgive me.

Today's drink is a toast to Mac Daddy and Shan, whom we miss celebrating with!

Classic Margarita

First things first, a margarita should be on the rocks. That frozen stuff from TGIFridays and other apostrophe restaurants of that ilk are lousy. You deserve better. Leave those frozen concoctions to the teeny bopper underage set that doesn't appreciate a fine cocktail yet.

Now serve this in a proper margarita glass. It's a must. Really, it'll taste more islandy this way. I prefer salt, but it's great without too if you're watching your sodium intake. Focus on the alcohol intake instead, for sure.

1 lime wedge
Coarse salt (I use the sea salt from Trader Joe's.)
3/4 cup ice cubes
1/4 cup tequila (Not the bottom shelf crap you guzzled in college, folks. Who has time for a hangover these days?)
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1/4 cup lime juice (Go for key limes to really invoke the Conch spirit! Juice from the plastic lime won't do justice to this drink.)

If you want your margarita with salt, rub rims of 2 glasses (because who drinks alone, right?) with the lime wedge. Put some coarse salt in a shallow dish and dip the glass rims into salt. Put a few ice cubes in each glass. In a pitcher, mix the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Pour equally into glasses. Garnish with lime wedges. Turn up the Jimmy Buffett and sip away.

Cheers!