Margaritas
(by the gallon!)

The only warning (other than the standard: You shouldn't drink this at all!) is 'drink them standing up!' I'll tell you why later.

When I was considerably younger than I am now, I was the proud co-owner and manager of a great little bar and restaurant in Denver, Colorado - The Rivera Lounge. It's still there, and still rated as one of the top Mexican restaurants in the city. We only had ten tables and a dozen bar stools but people waited for an hour to get a seat - during the week!

One of our specialties was, of course, the Margarita! This was before the fashion police deemed flavored margaritas the thing to drink, so ours were from the classic recipe. We sold so many that it was impossible for the bartenders to keep up with the demand. It was also illegal to pre-mix alcoholic drinks in that state so we devised a way around the rules - we mixed them by the gallon in front of the Clients! Several times a night, six gallon milk jugs were set up on the bar and margaritas were mixed in them. Here's how.

In a gallon jug:

Add 1 full quart bottle of Tequila (and don't bother buying the 'good stuff'. By the time we get through, you shouldn't be able to taste it anyway!)

Add 1/3 quart bottle of Triple Sec (the same rules apply to the quality here.)

Add 3 fingers of Rose's Lime Juice (about 3 or 4 ounces)

Add 1 full quart of Quickway Sweet and Sour Concentrate (If you can't buy this brand where you are, I'm sorry for you! The quality of this ingredient does make the difference between great and so-so margaritas.)

Fill to the top with water. (This gives a strong enough mix to stand up to the crushed ice on which it is served.)

Chill almost to freezing and serve straight up in martini glasses or over ice in wine goblets. Rub the rim of either type of glass with a wedge of lime or lemon to wet it, then set the glass upside down in a saucer of kosher salt or sea salt, the kind with big grains. (Yes, before filling with the drink, stupid!)

Why drink these standing up? They are so smooth that if you drink them sitting down you won't realize how potent they are until you do stand up - and fall over!