Cadillac Margarita
A Margarita made with reposado tequila and Grand Marnier instead of triple sec. The 'top-shelf' Margarita of the 1980s — richer, rounder and a little sweeter.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Salt half the rim of a rocks glass if you like, and fill it with ice.
Add the tequila, lime juice, agave syrup and a quarter-ounce of the Grand Marnier to a shaker, fill with ice, and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Strain over the fresh ice.
Float the remaining quarter-ounce of Grand Marnier over the top and garnish with a lime wheel.
A thoughtful finish
- The float is the point: the first sip tastes of orange and cognac before the lime arrives. Pour it gently over the back of a spoon.
- Grand Marnier is sweeter than a dry triple sec, so keep the agave at a quarter-ounce or drop it.
- A reposado gives the drink its character; an añejo makes it smoother and more expensive and arguably wastes the barrel under lime.
Common mistakes
- Shaking all the Grand Marnier in and skipping the float. You lose the thing that makes it a Cadillac.
- Full syrup measure on top of Grand Marnier's sugar. It turns sweet.
- Serving it frozen. The float does not survive a blender.
A few good questions.
What makes a Margarita a Cadillac?
Grand Marnier in place of triple sec, usually floated, and a reposado or añejo tequila in place of blanco. It is the 'premium' Margarita.
Is it better than a regular Margarita?
Richer, not better. The cognac in Grand Marnier adds depth and sweetness; a classic blanco Margarita with a dry triple sec is brighter and sharper.
Can I use blanco tequila?
Yes. It is then simply a Margarita with Grand Marnier, which is also very good.
Salt or no salt?
Half a rim of kosher salt is traditional; the salt against the orange float is one of the drink's pleasures.
Variations
- Margarita — Blanco tequila and triple sec.
- Tommy's Margarita — Agave syrup in place of orange liqueur.
- Spicy Margarita — With muddled jalapeño.
- Sidecar — Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon — the Cadillac's French cousin.
Where it comes from
c. 1980s · United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
‘Cadillac’ was 1980s American restaurant shorthand for the luxury version of anything, and the Cadillac Margarita was the one made with the expensive bottles: a reposado or añejo tequila in place of the house blanco, and Grand Marnier — cognac-based orange liqueur — in place of triple sec, often floated on top. No bar can claim it; it appears on Southern Californian and Texan menus through the decade and spread with the Margarita boom. Whether the premium bottles make a better drink is a matter of taste; they certainly make a richer one, and the Grand Marnier float is a pleasure.
Sources
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Cadillac Margarita, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.67 US standard drinks at an estimated 21.3% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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