If you live in Arizona, you understand the particular relief of six in the evening in July. All day the world outside has been uninhabitable, and then around that hour the light starts to turn gold and something shifts in the air, and you finally go outside. That is when this gets made. It has become something of a tradition on our back patio, and we are not apologizing for it.
The ratio is the thing. Two ounces of tequila, one ounce of fresh lime juice, and half an ounce of agave nectar. That is it. The tequila should be a blanco you actually enjoy drinking — this is not a cocktail where the mixer covers up the spirit, so use something good. We have gone through enough bottles to have opinions, but honestly any decent blanco at a mid-range price point will work. What matters more than the brand is that it is 100% agave. Skip the mixto bottles entirely.
The lime has to be fresh. This is the non-negotiable. Bottled lime juice makes a margarita that tastes like it came from a restaurant that is not trying very hard. Freshly squeezed lime juice makes a margarita that tastes like it was made by someone who actually wanted you to enjoy yourself. The difference is significant. Plan on about two limes per drink, roll them on the counter first to get the juice moving, and squeeze them right before you mix.
Agave nectar instead of triple sec keeps it clean and lets the lime and tequila lead. Just the half ounce — enough to round out the tartness without making it sweet. If you want it a little drier, back off to a third of an ounce. Taste as you go.
Everything goes into a shaker with a full cup of ice. Shake it hard for about fifteen seconds, until the outside of the shaker is genuinely cold. Strain it into a glass over fresh ice — a rocks glass, a lowball, whatever you have. If you want a salted rim, run a spent lime wedge around the edge and dip it in coarse salt before you pour. We usually do it. It adds something.
Sit outside. The temperature will drop another ten degrees in the next hour. This is the part of living here that makes the summer worth it.