Copycat Jimmy Buffett's Margarita

What's better than Jimmy Buffett's Copycat Margarita recipe to go along with your favorite Mexican food. Nothing! The perfect Margarita recipe.

If there is one thing I love to drink in the summer months is a good Margarita and this Copycat from legendary Jimmy Buffett does not disappoint.

🍹 Jimmy's Story

The following story from Jimmy Buffett about his signature song and drink originally appeared in InStyle magazine.

Most people don’t know the real story behind the song “Margaritaville,” but the truth is that it was written in five minutes. I was visiting Austin, Texas, for work in 1977, and a friend of mine was driving me to the airport. It was a hot afternoon, and we stopped at this funky little place for lunch on the way. I thought, “Why not have a margarita before going to the airport?”

You could only get a good one back then in Mexican border towns, where people just went to have fun. I was definitely doing my share of that. So I ordered one, and it tasted good. I came up with the name “Margaritaville” right there on the spot.

No one cared about the ingredients at the time, and it’s actually funny to me that everyone is so worried about the pedigree of the tequila they drink now. The thing is, you really can’t take the margarita too seriously—it’s not a science project. The whole point of the drink is just to disguise the taste of tequila.

Although they tend to be too sweet for me these days, every now and then I still like to have a 'rita on the rocks, no salt. I’ve had great ones and I’ve had bad ones over the years. But the very best margarita? That will always be the one that somebody else buys for you.

💭 Ingredient Substitution

If you have a hard time finding Orange Curacao or don't want to buy a bottle just for this drink recipe, simply use more Triple Sec - ½ ounce.

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📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make Copycat Margarita recipe from Jimmy Buffett's (see recipe card for quantities): Gold Tequila, Silver Tequila, Triple Sec, Orange Curacao, Fresh Lime Juice and Lime Wedges.

🥣 How to make Jimmy Buffett's Margarita

Rim a margarita glass with salt (optional).
Combine all the ingredients (except the lime wedges) into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Squeeze the juice out of the limes, then drop the wedges in the cocktail shaker.
Cover and shake vigorously. Pour into the margarita glass.

📖 Recipe