Donna Jo Margareta

My grandparents owned and managed a supper club for a while and employed my mother and her brothers, my uncles, to work there. Despite them getting out of the business before I was born, I still have fond memories of them arguing about what exactly goes into a specific cocktail. They would go back and forth across the Sunday dinner table discussing the virtue of a Rob Roy vs a Manhattan, without a drink in hand.

Many years later, I fell down the cocktail rabbit hole hard. I bought all the gear, studied the classic recipes, read about their histories, practiced counting pours, etc. I don't know why I did it - maybe it was the comfort of those old memories - now I had an opinion and experience on those topics my mother and uncles argued about. 

This beer is a cocktail that I built. It's a margarita. It's also a Mexican beer. There is significant Vienna malt, like the best old school Mexican lagers. It has way more corn than it ought to as well, to keep things light and easy. I included Neo-Mexicanus hops because if they don't belong in a Mexican beer, where do they belong? I can't include tequila, but I can use its base agave syrup. I can't include triple sec, but I can ferment with a yeast that throws a very triple sec orangey-ness. And I can add limes. A lot of limes.

It's adhering to the rules while making my own rules. I think my uncles and mother would be proud. I'm happy to argue the finer points with you if you'd like. Salud!