The
classic Margarita is always a good choice. Its proven combination of tequila, fresh lime juice and orange liqueur has been sating thirsts since the middle of the 20th century. So, it’s only natural that one may wish to perform the noble task of making a bunch of Margaritas at once. Because as common wisdom
dictates, Margaritas by the Pitcher are a surefire way to please a crowd. Making a pitcher of Margaritas is not more difficult than making a single Margarita. The chief difference is that you will use a larger quantity of each ingredient. Once your pitcher is full, you can dole out glasses to your guests, which saves you time and keeps them happy. This recipe comes from bartending legend Dale DeGroff. He adds agave syrup to the
holy trinity of tequila, lime juice and Cointreau for a dash of sweetness and scales up the ratios into a large batch that fits snugly into a 52-ounce pitcher. This recipe serves 12 people, but you can tweak the portions as needed and employ a larger pitcher to accommodate more drinks. (Hey, the people like refills.) Once the batch is complete, shake portions of the liquid with ice, strain into glasses and garnish each with a lime wheel to give the drinks a
personal touch. 14 ounces Cointreau 10 ounces lime juice, freshly squeezed 3
1/2 ounces agave syrup or simple syrup 22 ounces tequila Garnish:
12 lime wheels
To a 52-ounce pitcher, add the Cointreau and lime juice and stir to combine.
Add the agave or simple syrup followed by the tequila. Stir to combine, then taste. (The flavor should be intense, since the drink hasn’t yet been diluted with ice.)
To serve, pour 4 ounces of the mixture at a time into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. (If you have a large shaker or a gallon jar with a screw-top, you can shake several drinks at the same time.)
Strain into a stemmed Margarita glass with a half-salted rim or a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Garnish with a thin lime wheel.
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Most helpful positive review
Rating: 4 stars
03/21/2010
Besides making Pina Coladas last night/this morning for my GF's b-day party, I made margaritas using this recipe..... The first batch I made, I did use the 2 cups of tequila and it was strong!!!! Too strong!!! From there on out, I only used one cup and it was still pretty strong using that. All in all, they were good. My guest called it top restaurant quality strength margaritas. I had to give only 4 stars because I have no idea why the recipe calls for 2 cups of tequila when it only needs one.
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Most helpful critical review
Rating: 2 stars
05/08/2010
A bit too strong.
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34 Ratings
- 5 star values: 19
- 4 star values: 13
- 3 star values: 1
- 2 star values: 1
- 1 star values: 0
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Rating: 4 stars
03/21/2010
Besides making Pina Coladas last night/this morning for my GF's b-day party, I made margaritas using this recipe..... The first batch I made, I did use the 2 cups of tequila and it was strong!!!! Too strong!!! From there on out, I only used one cup and it was still pretty strong using that. All in all, they were good. My guest called it top restaurant quality strength margaritas. I had to give only 4 stars because I have no idea why the recipe calls for 2 cups of tequila when it only needs one.
Rating: 4 stars
10/11/2009
Quite good, but fairly strong margarita. I put the mix in the blender & added a quart of frozen strawberries and a cup of ice & it was a great addition and calmed it down a bit. Thanks!
Rating: 5 stars
10/12/2008
So good I've made these a few times. everyone loves them
Rating: 5 stars
09/07/2009
Well named. They make a pitcher, and they're perfect. This is a great way to serve margaritas without manning the blender all night. The fresh lime juice gives them the right balance of flavors to taste authentic and fresh. I will use this recipe a lot! UPDATE: I make simple syrup (1 part water to one part sugar, heated until combined, then cooled) instead of "sweetened lime juice", because I don't really know what that is!
Rating: 4 stars
03/06/2011
Use only 1 cup of tequila! Yikes, I can't imagine them with 2! So good and easy to make! I am always an advocate for fresh squeezed limes, but I couldn't bring myself to pay $.89 a lime when I would need 20! So I used lime juice in a bottle and they still tasted SO much better than the bottled margarita mix! I will definitely use this recipe again and make sure to use fresh lime juice!
Rating: 4 stars
05/05/2011
This is a basic margarita recipe and is very good. Using high quality triple sec (such as cointreau) will make it alot better. Anyone who says it is too strong is likely using cheap tequila! (Such as Jose Cuervo)
Rating: 4 stars
04/18/2009
I really needed an idea of where to start with the measuring proration for a pitcher. This is a good base, but was a little strong for my taste.
Rating: 4 stars
07/17/2009
Yum. I may add some cointreau next time.
Rating: 2 stars
05/08/2010
A bit too strong.
Rating: 4 stars
05/02/2012
Great for parties, but a bit on the strong side! Use good quality tequila or you're gonna be in for a headache... After cutting back on the tequila and using crushed ice this was pretty good.
Rating: 5 stars
05/27/2010
this was awesome!
Rating: 5 stars
11/20/2016
Excellent!!! For those who didn't know, the sweetened lime juice is by Rose's Find it in the liquor aisle with tonic and club soda. This margarita was tart and tasty. I made a half batch and used the full cup of tequila. Perfect!!!!
Rating: 5 stars
02/28/2010
Easy to make and everybody loved them!
Rating: 5 stars
06/18/2011
Great recipe! I did tweak it a little bit and used 2 cups of sweet and sour and one squeezed lime instead of the lime juice. They were a huge hit :)
Rating: 4 stars
11/01/2014
Very good for margaritas on the rocks.
Rating: 5 stars
01/30/2014
So strong but so good!
Rating: 5 stars
07/06/2019
Delicious! I had made my own simple syrup before finding this recipe, so replaced the sweetened lime juice with it. I had to adjust the lime juice amount a bit because of this. Next time I want to follow this recipe exactly!
Rating: 4 stars
05/08/2017
Taste just like at the bar.
Rating: 5 stars
12/10/2016
This drink was the hit of the party!!
Rating: 5 stars
11/20/2018
The guests kept asking for refills, so that says it all! We split using Triple Sec and Cointreau - only change.
Rating: 5 stars
09/17/2019
I made this just as the recipe calls for and have since made several times. Super easy!
Rating: 5 stars
09/16/2022
I thought this was the best margarita I have made at home. However, it tasted delicious, like not too much alcohol but the effects of one 16 oz glass with ice was pretty strong.
Rating: 4 stars
05/13/2020
Easy to make but very strong and good
Rating: 5 stars
07/24/2022
Best recipe ever!!!! 👍😁
Rating: 5 stars
08/11/2022
Strong but delicious! A good blend and the fresh limes make a difference in drink quality. Will make again soon!
Rating: 5 stars
01/18/2018
I agree with many of the reviewers about using only one cup of tequila (I made the half used bottle of tequila available for anyone who wanted to add a bit more tequila to their drink -- only one person did). With one cup tequila the drink was ...... perfect!
Rating: 5 stars
05/03/2021
It’s likely those that are complaining it tastes too strong of tequila are probably using cheap tequila (like Jose Cuervo) which will burn your throat and taste like lighter fluid going down. Good tequila should be 100% agave so if you see that on the bottle then you are good to go. Tequila only needs to be 51% agave to be called tequila so the cheap still will fill the rest of tequila with a “mixto” aka cheap alcohol, which is why you feel like garbage the next day after taking shots of Cuervo. You should be able to get a decent bottle for around $25-$30. The only thing I did different to this recipe was use Cointreau instead of Triple Sec and it tasted great!
Rating: 5 stars
09/21/2016
I used this recipe to make several margaritas for a Taste of Mexico fod event for over 100 people. The pitchers were empty within 1 hour and people praised them!
Rating: 3 stars
08/18/2022
More like juice is def needed, and I also added a 1/4 cup of simple syrup. Definitely sweetens it a bit more.
Rating: 5 stars
01/08/2019
All five women that shared this pitcher of margaritas were very pleased. I course it's important to get good tequila! I hope to have an occasion to make these again soon!
Rating: 5 stars
05/05/2020
I hear people say its strong. But I just made it for later to put in the fridge. I tasted a sample and its tastes perfect. I like mine just like this. And is all for me. Cant wait till later HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO