In most garden variety bars, the lemon or lime juice means that atrocious sour mix they store in plastic containers. I cannot imagine a drink in which that would be tasty, but that's what you get most anywhere you order a Margarita. A more delicate bartender will use lime or lemon from frozen concentrate or better yet, freshly squeezed on the spot. If you find such a place, please tell me about it.

So how do you mix these ingredients? The common Margarita as prepared in your average Chi-Chi's is about two ounces of Tequila, one ounce of Triple Sec, an ungodly amount of sour mix, blended with ice. Ugh. Put your hands above your head and step away from the blender.

First of all, do try to stay away from that sour mix. Buy some concentrate (if it's too bitter you can add sugar to taste). Or get actual limes and lemons, cut them in half, and squeeze away. Second, get some Cointreau. Third, use decent Tequila - Sauza Hornitos is a generally accepted good choice. After that, things get flexible. The original Margarita was shaken over ice and served up (kind of like a Martini). This is particularly appealing because by careful arrangement of the ingredients, you can actually build Margaritas that have unique flavors based on the brand of Tequila.

Regarding salt: Skip the salt if you are serving your Margarita on the rocks. It's a simple matter of mechanics. Salt on the rim is intended to cause a sharp contrast with the thick sweetness of the drink. The shock to your taste buds is intended to intensify the taste experience. The salt has to hit your tongue just a brief instant before the liquid for the correct effect, if the salt taste lingers more than a tiny fraction of a second the taste buds will cower and hide and you won't enjoy your drink. This requires deft hand/tongue coordination that is hindered when you have to try to control the ice such that it won't flow out all down your face and neck when you tip the glass and cause people to think you have a drinking problem. Salt works best when your Margarita is served up. Light salt please, not a thick encrustation. Remember, the salt is simply a tool to heighten the experience of the drink, it is not a taste to be desired in and of itself.

How to make the perfect Margarita? At this point you will have noted there is some flexibility (unlike, say, a Martini, where everything must be exact). But having to make decisions is annoying, so allow me to define the perfect Margaritas (there are 2) for you: