How to Make Costco Margarita Mix Better? [7 Great Ideas]
Summer is almost here, and my sister and I are becoming excited about preparing “midnight margaritas.” Even if you haven’t seen a movie of the same name starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, I highly advise you to pick up Kirkland Signature Margarita Mix from Costco and treat yourself to this classic cocktail. However, how to make Costco margarita mix better?
To make the classic lime margarita mix from Costco better, consider adding lemon or lime juice, some zest, high-quality tequila, salt to rim the glass, or blended ice.
Store-bought margarita mixes can come in handy whenever you are up for a quick yet delicious drink. Costco margarita mix is widely available and affordable and leaves space to adjust it to your taste. So, to turn a low-cost mix into a premium drink, I have listed the best ways to improve it in the text below.
Margaritas come in all sorts of exciting variations, from fruity blends like strawberry and mango to spicy twists like jalapeño. Bartender Andrea Ottaiano from Drinksworld lists 10 types of margaritas that are sure to delight any cocktail lover. I love her choices, and I recommend checking that out for some unique and delicious recipes!
Add Fresh Lime Juice
Although Kirkland Signature Margarita Mix from Costco tastes like lime, it has only 3% of the real lime juice. So, to make it taste more like a homemade margarita, squeeze one lime into the mix.
You can find fresh lime in almost any grocery shop in the fruit section. To make sure the lime is fresh, pick heavier lime and press it very gently to check how soft it is — the medium-soft ones are the best. Also, I suggest choosing those limes with dark green color because they tend to have thinner skin and more juice than lighter ones.
Once you add the juice to the mix, if you don’t want the lime to overcome the rest of the flavors, add tequila in the same proportion. Also, if the juice of the entire lime is too much for you, you can always squeeze half of it instead.
Add Fresh Lemon Juice
Aside from lime, lemon juice is also one of the favorite additions to the margarita, even though it is not part of the original recipe. Adding it to the Kirkland Signature Margarita mix will brighten up its flavor.
Also, lemon juice holds many nutritional benefits. It contains a fiber called pectin that helps with digesting sugars. So, pouring it into a sweetened margarita mix might be a good idea. [1]
Add Lemon and Lime Zest
Zest of lemon and lime is another great addition to the Costco margarita mix since it has a different acidic quality in comparison to the mix and gives a different kind of depth.
So, to make a zesty margarita, take one green lime and one lemon and grate it directly into the mix. To make the most of it, also add a juice of half lime and half lemon, as well as some tequila. Mix it all, and leave it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Add High-Quality Tequila
Kirkland Signature Margarita Mix requires adding some tequila. The quality of the tequila makes a big difference in the taste of your margaritas. So, choose high-quality tequila to enhance the flavor of the mix.
Make sure to use white tequila since the golden ones usually contain grain spirit, which has a sharper flavor and is lower quality. Also, you can use aged tequila if you want to make it a bit fancier. However, aged tequilas might be pricier than white ones.
Add Blended Ice
If you are making a classic margarita, you are most likely going to use ice cubes for it. However, using blended ice adds another dimension to the drink. It creates a clunky, creamy texture and is easier to mix with the rest of the cocktail.
To ensure that ice doesn’t attenuate the drink, add it right before serving. You can also try to freeze lemon and lime juice, blend it, and serve it with a mix. It will add more citrusy notes to the drink.
Make It Spicy
To prepare a spicy margarita, you will need some chili and jalapeno peppers, sugar, and water. You can start by removing the stems and chopping the peppers. After that, add them to a saucepan with half a cup of sugar and half a cup of water.
Place the pan on a medium heat and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for about 1 minute, then take it off the heat and let it steep. Leave the syrup cool down before adding it to the mix.
Make sure not to add more than a tablespoon of this syrup into a mix because more than that might ruin the drink.
Rim the Glasses
To make the drink more glamorous, rim the glasses with either salt or sugar. Use the leftover lime wedge to wet the rim of the glass and dip it into a dish with salt or sugar.
Since the margarita mix from Costco contains some portion of sugar, I prefer rimming your glasses with salt. Salt is a crucial ingredient in this drink since it enhances the flavors.
In case you find rimmed glasses to be a bit inconvenient, try sprinkling a pinch of salt into a mix. Perfect!
Costco Margarita Mix Improved
Ingredients
- 1 cup Costco Margarita Mix
- 3 Jalapeno Peppers
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Water
Instructions
- Remove the stems and chop up the peppers.
- After this, add them to a saucepan with the sugar and water.
- Place the pan on a medium heat and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for about 1 minute, then take it off the heat, and let it steep. Leave the syrup cool down before adding it to the mix.
- Your spicy margarita syrup is ready!
- Make sure not to add more than a tablespoon of this syrup to the Costco margarita mix. Have fun, and don't overdo it!
Nutrition
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
