The margarita may have gotten its moniker from the Mexican word for the daisy, a delicate species of flower, but is made of much stronger stuff. Most people are able to identify it as a tequila-based cocktail, but did you know that mezcal works just as well?

Before you mix and match your ingredients, however, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the margarita’s core components. Sure, tastes differ from tippler to tippler, but most industry personnel will agree that a solid margarita should have the following building blocks.

Must-Have Ingredients in a Margarita

One of the most useful things to remember when exploring two of Mexico’s most famous spirits is this: as far as ingredients go, all tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Mezcal alludes to spirits spun from the agave plant, a type of succulent that grows in arid climates. Meanwhile, tequila is specifically tied to the blue Weber agave, which is coveted for its high levels of fructose. But what do these differences do for flavor, especially in a margarita?

Just as steaming and roasting a slab of meat make for completely different dishes, tequila, and mezcal production methods are like night and day. To make tequila, farmers steam the piña or core of the blue agave in a brick oven or a steam sterilizer. Meanwhile, mezcal requires roasting the piña underground, hence its highly smoky profile.

As a rule of thumb, tequila is smoother and subtler, making it the go-to when mixing up a classic margarita. On the other hand, mezcal exists in a broader range of flavors and has a bolder profile, making for some really exciting margaritas. Neither spirit is superior or inferior to the other — it merely depends on what you’re in the mood for!

Sweetness, sourness and saltiness are the three criteria that make up a tasty margarita, and orange liqueur helps check off the first two. Certain brands of liqueurs even bring hints of complex bitterness to the mix, so indulge in some trial and error.

‘Plant over processed’ is a mantra we’ll repeat over and over again. Seek out fresh limes and squeeze them yourself even if it means putting in more elbow grease.

If the situation really calls for it, however, it is possible to resort to premixes or powdered lime juice.

American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who immortalized the margarita in his 1977 hit Margaritaville, underscored the importance of salt in the cocktail when he spouted the following lyrics: “Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt… Salt, salt, salt.”

Sure you could have a margarita without a salt rim, but why would you want to? As science has proven, sodium enhances our sweet perceptors, and marrying salt and sugar is what makes foods and drinks like salted caramel, sea salt brownies, and, of course, the margarita, so moreish.

That said, craft cocktail specialists have been known to rim their margaritas with crushed spices or flaked fruit, so why not give modern mixology a whirl?

Akin to a spiked Slurpee, the most common version of the margarita is served with crushed ice or blended with ice.

In the absence of a blender, however, margaritas can be served on the rocks. Any kind of ice is always better than no ice!

In conclusion, whether you pick tequila or mezcal, fresh juice or a concentrate, or whole or crushed ice, allow for some wiggle room in each category. What really matters is adding up all of the aforementioned ingredients. ¡Salud!