You've got your summer haircut and your summer clothes, your summer job and your summer home, what are you missing?
Your summer drink. Nothing says warm weather and free time like a cool batch of margaritas.
We helped ourselves to three different brands of margarita mix to help you host the perfect at-home alternative to happy hour, poolside bash, or south-of-the border blowout.
The favorite:
Jose Cuervo Premium Margarita Mix, $8.99
Vive Cuervo! Our testers raved for this mix, the tangy, citrusy taste of which drew comparisons to frozen fruit-juice popsicles.
"This is what I expect of a good margarita," said one fan. And at under $9, Jose doesn't break the bank.
The rest, in order of preference:
Sauza Premium Margarita Mix, $14.99
The lemon sweetness of this variety earned high marks from some testers, but others felt it was too strong. "This makes a good start-of-the-night drink, since the taste of the tequila is totally covered by the mixer," said one tester. "It would be a good after-work drink for interns."
Stirring's Simple Grapefruit Margarita Mix, $11.49
While citrus is the classic partner to tequila, grapefruit should be the notable exception, our testers said. "This tastes so much stronger [than tequila!]" one turned-off tester noted. "Not a good mix," said another.
Lessons we've learned?
(1) If you've heard of the brand, it's probably a safe bet,
(2.) Let the taster beware when experimenting with new flavors and,
(3.) Salting a rim is harder than it looks. Drink up, Dukies!
-MOLLY MCGARRETT
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