1800 Reposado tequila, orange liqueur, sweet and sour, fresh lime juice and a float of Grand Marnier. Grande $14
El Mirasol Cocina Mexicana, Palm Springs CA
I really don’t mind paying $14 for a large margarita, but I hate it when a server tries to up-sell you and purposefully keeps you in the dark regarding the price of the larger item. I think it’s tacky and irresponsible. The drink always tastes worse when this happens anyway. Boo!
Chips and salsa. Complimentary
Patron tequila, refine sugar free margarita mix served on the rocks. $10
Escena Lounge & Grill, Palm Springs CA
I appreciated that this margarita was sugar free, but I wasn’t a fan of the flavor. The sugar substitute in the mix tasted a little funny. I think I’d rather scarifice having the sugar to get the correct flavor next time.
Sunset at the Escena Gold Club.
1800 Silver tequila, agave nectar and fresh lime juice. $5.99
Lulu California Bistro, Palm Springs CA
Not quite sure what made this margarita “skinny”, but it tasted pretty good! Perhaps it’s because they didn’t use any sugary margarita mix. They serve it in a huge glass so I’m sure the large quantity negates any “skinny” promises.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. I got a little scared going up this thing! I have a tiny fear of heights.
Espolon, grapefruit, grapefruit bitters, lime, soda.
Hi Tops, San Francisco CA
I wasn’t a fan of this cocktail because it was too sour! They really needed something sweet to balance it out; perhaps a splash of simple syrup would’ve done the trick.
House margarita made with well tequila and lime. Pitcher $20
Puerto Alegre, San Francisco CA
These margaritas aren’t THAT good, but people seem to like them. I personally think they’re on the bland side and over priced. The service was also super slow during this visit.
Chips and salsa. Complimentary
Traditional dance performance, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 24th Street Bart Station.
Lilikoi Margarita: Invented in 1993, tangy passion fruit with tequila served on the rocks.
Bamboo Restaurant, Hawi HI
This was ok – a little too tart for my liking. It was cute that they’re served in coconut shell glasses though.
Bamboozle Iced Tea: Our version of the Long Island Tea, gin, vodka, dark rum, tequila and triple sec with pineapple and yes, lilikoi, finished with a splash of Coke.
Either this was super weak, or super well-made. It tasted great and went down easily – uh oh, that could be trouble!
Indian wooden statues, Akoni Pule Highway.
Huggo’s Ali’i Mai Tai: 10 Cane rum, Lemon Hart 151, pineapple juice, exotic liqueurs with a Gosling’s dark rum float. $11
Huggo’s on the Rocks, Kailua-Kona HI
Vacation is relaxing outside, taking in some rays, and sipping on sweet, girly tropical drinks. Lol! I think we accomplished that in Hawaii. This mai tai was a little on the “too” sweet side, and the margarita was super weak and a bit bland. Oh well, can’t win em all…
Huggo’s Famous Back Bar Margarita: premium tequila, grand marnier, lemon and lime juices with a splash of orange juice. $11
Bird of paradise flowers (Strelitzia reginae, Strelitziaceae), KOA airport.
Duke’s Mai Tai: Hawaiian juices with two different types of rum and orange curacao. $9
Duke’s Waikiki, Honolulu HI
Duke’s is super touristy, but it’s still nice to sit outside on Waikiki beach and enjoy the sunset. The food is middle of the road and the drinks are weak and sugary, but that’s OK because you’re on vacation, lol! The mai tai had good flavor though.
Mango-Rita: Jose Cuervo Gold tequila, mango, lime and triple sec. $8.50
This was more on the lime side than on the mango side and it could have used another shot of tequila. Oh well.
Sunset from the back patio at Duke’s Waikiki.
Bass Solo: rye whiskey, dry vermouth, trio of bitters. $9
Salt Kitchen and Tasting Bar, Honolulu HI
I really liked this restaurant in the Kaimuki neighborhood of Honolulu. I would have never found this place, but my friend who lives on the Island invited us out for dinner. I’m glad he did because this restaurant had a really cool vibe and kinda reminded me of a typical neighborhood SF restaurant. The food was delicous and these cocktails were tasty too!
Mexican Martini: tequila, elderflower, fresh lime, olive. $9
Sunset at Waikiki Beach. Ah, makes you want to move there!
Hand-crafted margarita featuring Patron Silver and a touch of fresh orange juice. Served on the rocks. $9
Wet Ultra Lounge, Reno NV
This was a pretty nicely made cocktail. It wasn’t too sweet or sour, and it went down smoothly! Yum.
View of Lake Tahoe from Mount Rose.
Reposado tequila, Pama pomegranate liqueur, triple sec and lime on the rocks. $10
Eureka Restaurant & Lounge, San Francisco CA
I love the soft pink color of this margarita! It’s nicely made and tastes wonderful.
My neighborhood has began decorating its storefronts for the holidays. I like the simple window trims at Mill, 24th Street.
Grape distilled tequila, orange juice, pomegranate juice, and grenadine. $6.50
900 Grayson, Berkeley CA
This was very refreshing and had a lot of flavor. A great way to start the weekend!
