Republished as originally appeared in HotelChatter
It’s no big secret that HotelChatter loves margaritas and in honor of our favorite holiday, Cinco De Mayo, we’ve found the most perfect margarita recipe–The Organic Basil Margarita from Playa Viva in Juluchuca, Mexico.
That’s right, our favorite drink has gone organic, using organic tequila and organic basil grown by local farmers. And what makes this marg extra special is that the salted rim is done using Sal Viva, the hotel’s very own brand of salt. Here’s how they cultivate it:
Originally gifted as tribute to Aztec kings, Sal Viva has been harvested by hand in Juluchuca, Mexico in the same fashion for centuries. Summer rains wash the rich minerals off the Sierra Madre range filling seaside lagoons, eventually bursting past sand barriers, fusing with the salty Pacific Ocean. As heat evaporates the lagoons, peasant farmers hand form calcium drying ponds and rake in Sal Viva.
We’ve already been impressed with Playa Viva’s “Every Day is Earth Day” philosophy at their property but it’s still a relief to know our margs are eco-friendly too. God knows, we drink a lot of them!
Wanna make the organic basil margarita at your place? Here’s how:
Playa Viva’s Organic Basil Margarita
Ingredients:
· 4 leaves of organic basil
· 1 lime
· 1 ½ oz of 4 Copas organic tequila (or other organic tequila)
· 1 teaspoon of agave nectar (agave honey – “Miel de Agave”)
· 5 large cubes of ice
· Thin layer of Sal Viva in a dish (for rimming glass)
Tools of the trade:
· Blender
· Shaker Glass
· Plate for salt to rim glass
· Glass
Blending the drink:
- Start with the four leaves of organic basil. Place them in a blender, then squeeze in juice from lime, add the tequila and blend (without ice)
- Once blended, pour the blended mix into a shaker glass with the ice and add the agave nectar
- Margarita should be shaken (not stirred)
- Take the remaining lime and rim the mouth of the glass to add moisture so when you dip the glass in a plate with Sal Viva, the salt sticks to the rim
- Pour in the shaken mix into a glass for the perfect Playa Viva Organic Basil Margarita.
Recipe courtesy of Playa Viva. To purchase your own Sal Viva, send an email to info@PlayaViva.com and include the words “Sal Viva” in the subject line.
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