Cooking Lesson: #340 Margaritaville Tequila Popsicles

…from the Happy Hour Bar

ow you doin’?  We’re coming down to the Dog Days of Summer and Labor Day is just about a week away. It’s been very hot in Los Angeles this year and I wanted to bring you something a little different, completely refreshing and a unique way to celebrate the end of summer. In some places in the United States the leaves are already falling from the trees. In California it’s just still hot.
 
Jimmy Buffet was a client of Perspectives. We had the pleasure of developing the menu for the Las Vegas Margaritaville restaurant. I apologize in advance to some of our many clients, but Jimmy was the most fun and easy to be around. It started with backstage passes to several of his concerts and the fact that he is just a great person to work with. He made few demands and gave us carte blanche to develop the menu as long as we didn’t change his mom’s meatloaf recipe. 
 
We were looking for a thirst-quenching change-up on the margarita. Now when you’re Jimmy Buffet and you own your own tequila brand it’s kind of hard to come up with something that hasn’t already been done. I don’t know if this was Jimmy’s idea or John’s or Chef Spencer’s, but together we dreamed up Margarita Pops—talk about hard liquor… this cocktail is truly frozen. It debuted at the Hilton on the Strip at one of the free, pre-opening Buffett concerts. They sold like Popsicles. This is the first time I’ve seen this recipe in several years and I can honestly tell you, they are as good as the first time we debuted them.
 
Start making these a day before you plan to serve them. This is an adult frozen treat—keep it away from the kiddies. 
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Freeze time:  6 hours or better yet, overnight
Yield:  4 pops
 
Ingredients
5-1/2 ounces granulated sugar
6 ounces fresh lime juice
4 ounces cold filtered or bottled water
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 ounce Margaritaville Tequila
1 ounce Grand Marnier
 
Directions

1. Put the sugar, lime juice, water, lemon juice and orange juice into a saucepan.
2. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring periodically, until sugar fully dissolves.
3. Remove the pan from heat.
4. Transfer the mixture to bowl and allow to cool.
5. Put the cooled mixture into blender and add the Tequila and Grand Marnier.
6. Blend until smooth.
7. Pour into serving cups and cover with foil or pour into popsicle molds.
8. Place a popsicle stick in center of each cup, piercing through foil.
9. Place the cups into freezer until frozen, preferably overnight.

 
ChefSecret:  Always drink responsibly!

Quip of the Day: “I had decided to turn my gun over the government, but I ran a background check first but found that none of them were mentally stable.”
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. 
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

                                            ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

---