A Hungry Bear

I never post drinks on AHB, which I realize is kind of odd. At holidays, I put as much thought into finding and fixing a fun cocktail as I do a holiday-themed dessert. So since it’s Friday, and we’re all counting down till Happy Hour, I’ll share with you one of my recent favorites. This was inspired by (a) a display at my local Whole Foods about Agave Nectar that caught my eye, and (b) the gorgeous blood orange margarita shared by The Kitchen Sink. (If it’s not time for happy hour already, I’d consider her photos NSFW - they will inevitably cause you to leave early, run to the store and get the ingredients for mid-afternoon cocktails. You’ve been warned.)

For this drink, you’ll need: a shaker, tequila (my favorite is Don Julio), cointreau, one lime, one blood orange, agave nectar, and salt and/or sugar for the rim.

Slice the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl.

Fill a shaker with ice. Start by adding 2 ounces of tequila.

Then add about half a shot (3/4 ounces) of agave nectar.

Next comes a half shot (3/4 ounces) of cointreau.

Squeeze the juice from half a lime right into the shaker. You can use the lime or orange remnant to rub the rim of your glass, then dip the rim into a shallow plate with sugar, or salt - or go crazy and mix both salt and sugar. (I mixed.)

Finish by adding about 2-3 ounces of the blood orange juice to the shaker. Fill your glass with crushed ice, and pour the margarita over. Repeat if necessary.