101 Margaritas

The Margarita. It’s the drink that puts the "happy" in happy hour. A beguiling elixir of tequila, citrus, and sweetness that’s guaranteed to go down easy—and put a smile on your face.

The Classic Margarita—perhaps named after Margarita Sames, or maybe Margarete, a descendent of Ponce de Leon, but do we really care?—is a delectable blend of tequila, simple syrup, Cointreau, and lime and lemon juices. But as cocktail designer extraordinaire Kim Haasarud proves in this fantastic little guide, the Classic is just the starting point for margarita bliss. Open the book, and you’ll discover 101 heavenly margarita recipes—one for every season, every mood, and every occasion.

All your favorite margarita variations are here. You can chill out with a frozen Strawberry Margarita. Get romantic with an exotic Passionfruit Margarita. Or "berry" yourself in the fruity delights of a delicious Raspberry Margarita. But Haasarud also gives you lots of new and exciting margarita choices. You can take a cocktail party to new heights with the sophisticated Sake Margarita. Tame fiery foods with the refreshing Sweet Ginger Margarita. Or finish off a meal with a divine Hazelnut Margarita or an espresso-infused Margarita du Café.

So invite some friends, get out your shaker, and ready the glasses. With a little help from this book, you’ll be in Margaritaville in no time.

Kim Haasarud bartended her way through college and in 2002 founded Liquid Architecture, a firm that creates signature drinks and bar concepts. Her clients have included Fox Searchlight, Warner Brothers, HBO, Comedy Central, Maxim, the Tribeca Film Festival, Absolut Vodka, Jameson Irish Whiskey, and the Cheesecake Factory. She also writes the "West Coast Cocktails" column for Slammed magazine, a restaurant trade journal. Her Web site is liquid-architecture.com.

Alexandra Grablewski is a well-known food and beverage photographer whose work has appeared in Gourmet, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens, and Wine Spectator as well as in many books.