By SARAH REESE and JIN YOKOTA
With warm breezes tousling hair and brushing past bare legs, the hankering for a chilly, invigorating cocktail sometimes becomes overwhelming – and with Cinco de Mayo peeking around the corner of the calendar, what better beverage to imbibe than a margarita?
Margaritas don’t always come chunky and frozen in a portable bucket, appetizing as it may sound. Jin and I, along with a few easygoing friends, decided to trek around town on a quest for the best inebriant. Here are our favorite three, along with many well deserved honorable mentions!
The Classic – Jitter’s long-time bartender, James, mixed us our third drink of the hunt. The technicality of the drink was great – a perfect balance of tequila, triple sec and lime. James wouldn’t give us salt – he says it’s just a way to hide bad tequila – and his drink was way too tasty to need it. (Jitters Sports Bar, 146 W Gay Street, West Chester)
The Cadillac – This top-shelf mix was shaken up by Kildare’s staple bartender, Justin. Although it is an Irish pub, we had a feeling we were going to enjoy it – Justin has been making us some of the best drinks for years now. His margarita had a splash of Grand Marnier and the bitter orange essence rounded the tanginess out. Two thumbs up! (Kildare’s Irish Pub, 18 W. State Street, West Chester)
The Blue Margarita – Erica over at Pietro’s Prime whipped up the real deal in mere minutes. Out of all the drinks (we had 10 total!), hers was the most beautiful. Layered blue curacao in a deep, rounded glass, Erica’s drink was palatable and mellow – easy to sip on and visually stimulating. (Pietro’s Prime, 125 W Market Street, West Chester)
While those were our personal favorites, there were almost too many to choose from – and definitely too many to drink in one night! If you like your tequila sweetened, Kooma (151 W. Gay) is your best bet – thick, syrupy and sugary-sweet. On a hot day, grab an outdoor table at Spence (29 E. Gay) and slurp an extra frothy, super tangy ‘rita. If you’re heading out of town, stop by the Half Moon, at 108 W State Street in Kennett Square for a deliciously citrusy blend while sitting at their rooftop bar. We even got a margarita made with vodka…which was weird, to say the least! Grab a few friends and go on your own hunt and decide for yourself!
