Flavored with fresh, herbal celery and Lillet Blanc, this margarita isn’t your standard chips-n-salsa chaser. To extract the celery juice, we throw chopped celery in a blender—no expensive juicer needed—and add simple syrup and fresh-squeezed lime juice to help get everything moving. Strain the mixture and add silver tequila and Lillet Blanc. Shake until frosty, strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with a tender celery stalk. Sip while munching on some ceviche tostadas.

What to buy: Lillet Blanc is a medium-dry French apéritif made with herbs, spices, and fruits and fortified with French brandy in a base of Bordeaux wine. You can find it at most well-stocked liquor stores or online.

  • Yields: 4 drinks
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 10 mins 
  • Active: 10 mins 

Ingredients (7)

  • 6 celery stalks, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 4 medium limes)
  • 2 ounces Simple Syrup
  • 8 ounces silver (blanco), 100 percent agave tequila
  • 4 ounces Lillet Blanc
  • Ice
  • 4 tender celery stalks with leaves (from within the bunch), trimmed to fit the glass, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place the chopped celery, lime juice, and simple syrup in a blender and blend on high until the stalks are completely broken down, about 30 seconds. (You may need to stop the blender and smash the celery pieces down more to get the blade spinning again.)
  2. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a 1-cup measuring cup and pour in the celery mixture. Using a ladle, press on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. (You should have about 6 ounces of liquid.) Discard the solids in the strainer.
  3. Place 4 martini or coupe glasses in the freezer to chill.
  4. Place the celery juice mixture, tequila, and Lillet in a 1-quart container and stir to combine.
  5. Place 6 ounces of the margarita in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway with ice and shake vigorously until the outside is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain the contents into 1 of the chilled glasses, garnish with a celery stalk, and serve. Repeat to make 3 more margaritas.