Make The Best Freezer Door Margarita This Summer With These Expert Tips

Few drinks have the power to instantly transport you to a Mexican beach vacation like a margarita. The quintessential happy hour cocktail is a true classic, as exemplified by its many variations. Now, with the rising popularity of freezer door cocktails, Toby Maloney, co-author of "The Classic Cocktail Sessions," shared his tips for making a great margarita, which you can store in the freezer door to punch the ticket to that beachside bar without leaving the kitchen.

"This is one of those drinks where there is nowhere to hide. Your ingredients and technique need to be impeccable," he says. His margarita recipe calls for just five ingredients: quality additive-free tequila blanco, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, some water, and he insists that you "splurge on a great dry curaçao, like the Pierre Ferrand version." Add all ingredients to a freezer-proof bottle, give it a good shake to marry the ingredients, and stick it "in the freezer overnight for slick cold deliciousness."

Adding water is essential for a freezer door margarita because the process skips shaking the cocktail over ice, which is crucial for diluting and giving balance to the drink. Dilution is an essential tip for crafting the perfect margarita because it softens the alcohol and the acidity of the lime juice, and tames the sweetness of the syrup and liqueur. Since the ingredients go straight into the bottle in this case, adding water does the job of the ice.

An important rule for crafting freezer door cocktails is the ratio of alcohol to mixers. In general, boozy cocktails, such as negronis and martinis, work well in the freezer since the higher alcohol content prevents them from freezing. A margarita is more forgiving because nobody says no to a slushy margarita, right? However, make sure the nonalcoholic ingredients stay between 20% to 25% of the total volume of the batch to prevent it from turning into a block of ice. If this happens, don't panic. Let it thaw a bit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so, then shake it well and pour.

As Toby Maloney says, put the focus on quality. Start with one of the best additive-free tequilas. They might cost a little more than usual, but they reward you with much cleaner flavor and fewer negative effects the next day. While he recommends a blanco, you can use a reposado if you prefer a richer, more complex taste, rather than a fresh, agave-forward one. Follow this simple rule for making margaritas, and you'll craft a well-balanced cocktail everyone will love.

If you want to switch up the simple syrup, use agave nectar, or get creative with flavored or infused syrups you make yourself. Serve the margaritas in a salt-rimmed coupe or on the rocks. Your margarita should last up to two months in the freezer, but chances are it won't make it past the weekend.