Sunsets cast later and local fare is plenty, while patio furniture rotates with tourists, students, and neighborhood dwellers. On those weather-proof tables, a signature cocktail can be seen in many varieties: the margarita. Summertime in Cambridge may wind down in terms of daily pace, observing a shift towards vacation-time to-dos. But, where one demand drops, another spikes— there is no arguing that the margarita is in its height of influence as our city enters it's "relaxation season."
According to a report conducted by Google, Margaritas were the most-searched drink recipe in 2017. As someone who is highly consumed with data-focused reports while driving her personal real estate business, Laura Palumbo-Hanson learned of the cocktail's rank in popularity and thought, what better challenge than to share her craft for the best.
Laura has been shaking and stirring ice-cold ritas for years. Pouring them into fancy-rimmed glassware and garnishing with bright citrus. But, this year, she decided to actually put her raved recipes to paper.
"I love to entertain. And with entertaining, in my opinion, comes margaritas. I've never actually written down my recipes because each time I craft a glass or a batch, I just lead with my true passion for taste." Meaning, her honed instincts over the years.
Committing her combinations of ingredients, measurements and movements to a formula reminded Laura of the way she is sometimes challenged to give her real estate clients advice for specific questions that have come up through her entire career: a transition from scratch-thinking to guide-crafting.
The passion and expertise is what we crave when we seek leadership and agency. But, the idea of decompressing a wealth of knowledge into a more digestible guide is where true leadership lies, Laura says. "By reducing solutions to the basics, it can help guide any client through a personalized experience," she adds.
To drink up one of these examples, Laura offers her carefully practiced formula for a margarita "base," from which, she says, the only limit is your imagination. "If you get the foundation right, any creative twist will work." Laura's margarita base recipe can be found below, along with her house guests' favorite two renditions: the Strawberry Basil and Spicy Cucumber Cilantro.
- Heaping Tblsp of lime zest
- 1/2c fresh lime juice
- Heaping Tblsp of lemon zest
- 1/2c fresh lemon juice
- 1 tea sugar
- Few shakes of salt
Combine and refrigerate, if time allows (a few hours to overnight) otherwise just go for it.
When ready to serve add
- 1 cup Tequila (I prefer Reposado but Blanco is fine too)
- 1 cup orange liqueur
- ICE
Mix/shake and enjoy.
Oh wait some variation’s…
Spicy Cucumber Cilantro Margarita
Muddle 2 spring cilantro, 4 slices peeled cucumber and 2 slices jalapeno in cocktail shaker
Add 1 ½ oz Margarita Base
And ice shake very well…and shake some more
Pour through strainer into rimmed glass
Strawberry Basil Margarita
Muddle 3-6 Strawberries, 2-4 basil leaves and a slice of orange in a cocktail shaker
Add 1 ½ oz Margarita Base
And ice shake very well…and shake some more
Pour through strainer into rimmed glass
For The Rim:
Basic
Mix ¼ c sugar and ¼ c salt on plate large enough to put rim of glass in
Rub rim of glass with fruit and place in salt/sugar mixture. Careful add ice and or margarita to rimmed glass being careful to avoid the rim.
Variations:
Zest citrus fruit depending on the Margarita you are making –
For a
plain Margarita or Spicy
, zest lime and lemon so you have about ¼ cup of each, let sit out overnight to dry out then add it to the sugar/salt mixture and rim glasses
For
Strawberry basil
Zest lime, lemon and orange so you have about ¼ cup of each let sit out overnight to dry out then add it to the sugar/salt mixture and rim glasses.
