Truly Skinny Margarita
Tequila, bright lime, and a clean finish. Shake 2 oz blanco or reposado tequila with 1 oz Cordial Craft, then pour over fresh ice. Optional orange bitters add complexity and the familiar orange character of a margarita.
Classic lineage: Margarita riff · Skinny Margarita
- Total time
- About 5 minutes
- Yield
- 1 cocktail
- Glassware
- Rocks glass
- Technique
- Shake and strain
How to make the Truly Skinny Margarita.
Tequila and Cordial Craft form the complete base. Orange bitters are optional; our house recipe uses three dashes for added complexity and the familiar orange character of a margarita.
Ingredients
- 2 oz tequila of choice
- 1 oz Cordial Craft Zero-Sugar Lime Cordial
- 3 dashes orange bitters, optional
- Fresh ice
- Orange twist, lime wedge, or fresh zest
Method
- Add the ingredients. Add tequila, Cordial Craft, and orange bitters, if using, to a shaker with ice.
- Shake. Shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds, until thoroughly chilled.
- Strain. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish. Finish with an orange twist, lime wedge, or fresh zest.
The 0.75 oz cordial variation.
Approximately 131 calories · 0 g sugar
This estimate uses 2 oz of 80-proof unflavored tequila confirmed by its manufacturer as 0 g sugar, 0.75 oz Cordial Craft Zero-Sugar Lime Cordial, fresh ice, and an unsweetened garnish. Leave out orange bitters and a prepared rim unless their labels also qualify.
Nearly all calories come from alcohol. The estimate uses NIAAA standard-drink arithmetic and the cordial’s labeled serving; it is not a calorie-free or weight-control claim. The 1 oz house pour and optional additions need their own calculation.
The balance is built into the pour.
Citrus, acidity, sweetness, and body are balanced in the same measure. Fresh lime changes from one batch to the next; Cordial Craft removes the guesswork that starts when one margarita suddenly tastes sharper or flatter than the last.
The lime and sweetness move together.
The starting point stays familiar because one changing ingredient is not being corrected with another.
Easy to remember behind the bar.
The 2:1 ratio remains direct from one cocktail to a pre-diluted party batch.
“Skinny” should mean something.
The recipe does not depend on agave syrup, simple syrup, or a sugary bottled margarita mix.
Three details that change the drink.
The ingredient list is short. Dilution, proportion, and the rim still determine how the finished margarita drinks.
Give it the full shake.
Shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds. That chills the drink, supplies the dilution it needs, and creates the texture expected from a freshly shaken margarita.
Use 1 part for the standard spec.
With 2 oz tequila, one part means 1 oz Cordial Craft. For a drier margarita, begin with 0.75 oz and adjust from there.
Choose a half rim.
A half rim lets each sip be salted or unsalted and keeps the tequila and lime from disappearing beneath the seasoning.
Four deliberate ways to change the drink.
Keep the tequila and cordial relationship intact, then change one accent at a time.
Add fresh jalapeño.
Lightly muddle two jalapeño slices, each about 1/3 inch thick, with the cordial before adding tequila and ice. Remove some seeds first if the pepper is unusually hot.
Add orange liqueur.
Add 0.5 oz dry curaçao or another orange liqueur for a richer variation. Reduce or omit the bitters when the orange character is already where you want it.
Orange liqueur can add sugar, so this variation is not presented as a zero-sugar cocktail.Use a smaller cordial pour.
Keep the 2 oz tequila pour and begin with 0.75 oz Cordial Craft. Shake and taste before deciding whether the drink needs more.
Add a touch of mezcal.
Split the base with 1.5 oz tequila and 0.5 oz mezcal for a touch of smoke without allowing the mezcal to take over.
Scale the same 2:1 ratio.
The batch is pre-diluted, so it does not need to be shaken with ice again. Bottle it with enough headspace to move, chill it thoroughly, then shake the sealed bottle vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds before the first pour. Repeat as needed during service to maintain homogeneity and restore some of the aeration normally created in the shaker.
Allergen and ingredient note.
No major allergen is intentionally added to the standard build. Check the labels on tequila, orange bitters, rim seasoning, and packaged garnishes before serving someone with an allergy; cross-contact can occur in a shared bar or kitchen.
Questions before you make it.
Practical answers for orange bitters, fresh lime, mezcal, and batching.
Are the orange bitters required?
No. Tequila and Cordial Craft make a complete two-ingredient margarita. Three dashes are included in the house spec for another layer of complexity and the orange character associated with a traditional margarita.
Do I need fresh lime juice?
Not for this recipe. Cordial Craft supplies the lime, acidity, sweetness, and body that fresh lime juice and syrup would normally provide, with more consistency from drink to drink.
Can this be a zero-sugar cocktail?
Yes, when the entire build qualifies. Use the 0.75 oz labeled-serving specification above with a currently verified zero-sugar unflavored tequila, and omit or verify the bitters, rim, and garnish. Alcohol still contributes calories.
Can I use mezcal?
Yes. Start with 1.5 oz tequila and 0.5 oz mezcal. The split adds a touch of smoke without allowing the mezcal to dominate the drink.
Can I batch it?
Yes. Keep the 2:1 tequila-to-Cordial Craft ratio, add the calculated water for dilution, chill thoroughly, and vigorously shake the sealed batch before pouring.
Keep exploring the bottle.
Move from the flagship margarita to a fresh-berry gin sour, a rum drink using the same ratio, or the complete Cordial Craft recipe library.
A Skinny Margarita that earns the name.
No agave syrup, no simple syrup, and no sugary bottled margarita mix. Start with the two-to-one house ratio, or try the 0.75 oz cordial variation. Its nutrition estimate applies only to the ingredients and amounts listed for that variation.