Get ready to elevate your cocktail game with our Rosemary Ginger Margarita, a delightful libation crafted with love from the So Radish menu. I created this boozy treat in fall of 2018, while in the midst of planning the restaurant’s concept and menus. I tested it out on guests at my holiday party that year, and the rest is history!

Enjoyed during a cozy night in or while hosting a lively gathering, this refreshing drink is the perfect choice for all seasons. Whether you’re enjoying it with tacos or a gourmet cheese platter, it effortlessly complements a variety of dishes.

Now, let’s dive into the details of creating this Rosemary Ginger Margarita, ensuring that you have all the tips and guidance to craft the perfect cocktail. Cheers!

Gathering Your Ingredients

Selecting Your Tequila

For the perfect Rosemary Ginger Margarita, you’ll want to use a 100% agave blanco tequila, also known as a silver tequila. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Inexpensive brands like Monte Alban or Lunazul will work perfectly fine. Espolon or Cazadores would also work well, if you want to take it up a notch. 

No need to buy something expensive, since the subtle nuances of a high-end brand might be overpowered by the flavors of the cocktail. As long as your tequila is 100% agave, there’s no need to overthink it.

Fresh Ingredients

Always use freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice for cocktails. It’s worth the extra time. With very few exceptions, bottled citrus juices taste completely different than fresh squeezed juice. 

You’ll also want to use fresh ginger for the simple syrup. Powdered ginger and ginger paste just won’t cut it.

Essential Bar Tools

Jigger

A jigger is helpful for measuring ingredients, but if you don’t have a jigger, just keep in mind that a tablespoon is 1/2 an ounce. If you want more accurate measurements, but don’t make cocktails often enough to justify the purchase of a jigger, Anchor makes a graduated measuring cup that is super helpful for measuring liquids in the kitchen, and can easily be used for cocktails as well.

Strainers

If you’re using a 3-in-1 cocktail shaker, it should have a strainer built in. Otherwise you’ll want to get a Hawthorne strainer. You’ll also need a mesh strainer for straining citrus, along any cocktails you make in the future that are served up (without ice) and need to be “double-strained.”

Citrus Juicer

While you can definitely squeeze a lime by hand, it can be fairly time-consuming. This Kitchenaid citrus squeezer is less messy than others because the juice catches in the bottom and pours out the side.

Making the Rosemary Ginger Margarita

Crafting the Simple Syrup

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat on medium-high until sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and continue to steep for 20 minutes. Strain and allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.

Salting the Rim

Create your salt rim by adding a layer of kosher salt to a small plate and moistening the rim with a lime wedge before dipping it in the salt. Salting only half of the rim works best, especially if you’re not planning to use a straw.

If you’d rather skip this step, add a pinch of salt to the recipe. Unless you have medical conditions that require you to limit your salt intake, it’s a good idea to add a small pinch of salt to any recipe with citrus juice to help the flavors pop.

Building the Cocktail

Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice for about 30 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into salt-rimmed glass (kosher salt). Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with rosemary sprig and lime wheel.

If you do not already have bar tools, I would strongly suggest getting a basic bartender kit/shaker set, especially if you want to make more cocktails in the future. Buying the tools individually can get kind of pricey. If you want something more advanced, this Barfly kit offers a variety of options.