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Step up your margarita game with a perfect Cadillac margarita! This sophisticated twist on the classic cocktail uses premium tequila and Grand Marnier for smooth, nuanced flavors.
When I have friends over and want to step it up a notch, I pull out this trick: the Cadillac margarita! This is one of my favorite spins on the classic tequila cocktail using top-quality tequila and Grand Marnier. The combination makes a smooth, nuanced flavor that makes everyone who tries it ask, “Wow! What’s in this?”
After years of perfecting my cocktail skills and testing hundreds of cocktail recipes (including dozens of margarita recipes), I can confidently say the Cadillac is the ultimate margarita upgrade! The pop of citrus against the bitter orange, vanilla, and oak notes in the Grand Marnier gets us every time. It’s a great way to step up your cocktail game with very little effort.
What you’ll need
A Cadillac margarita is a version of the classic margarita using premium ingredients. Unlike a classic margarita recipe that uses standard tequila blanco and triple sec, the Cadillac elevates every component.
Tequila reposado brings notes of vanilla and oak, while the Grand Marnier adds sophisticated bitter orange and cognac flavors that float on top of the drink. This luxurious spin on the classic is believed to have gained mainstream popularity in the 1980s in Southern California restaurant chains.
Here are the ingredients you’ll use:
- Grand Marnier
- Best quality tequila, reposado if possible
- Cointreau
- Lime juice
You’ll pour the Grand Marnier right onto the other ingredients so that it floats on top, though you’ll find it gradually sinks to the bottom over time. If you prefer a margarita on the sweeter side, you can add a hint of simple syrup or agave nectar.
I prefer it without added sweetener. The drink comes out perfectly balanced, and the smooth, citrusy flavor makes it irresistible.
The star of the show
Grand Marnier is a French brandy liqueur made with Cognac, bitter orange, and sugar. The bottle you’ll most often see is called Cordon Rouge, the Grand Marnier brand’s most popular product. You’ll taste bitter orange and brandy first, then the sip finishes with notes of vanilla and oak.
Choosing your tequila
Many margarita recipes use tequila blanco (unaged or “new” tequila). For the Cadillac margarita, I like it best with a tequila reposado (aged). I like how it gives the drink even more layers of flavor with notes of caramel, honey, and vanilla.
- Look for a mid-priced tequila. Try 750 ml bottles in the range of $22 to $35.
- Tequila reposado (aged) makes a smooth, sophisticated margarita. It’s aged 2 to 12 months in oak barrels and has notes of oak, vanilla, and caramel. Some brands I like are Casamigos, Milagro Reposado, and Suerte Reposado.
- Tequila blanco also works. It has a straightforward agave-centric flavor and spicy finish. Some brands I like are Espolon Blanco, El Tesoro Blanco, Patrón Silver, and Casamigos.
Making your margarita
The Cadillac margarita comes together simply by shaking up a few ingredients, then floating the Grand Marnier over the top:
- Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of flaky sea salt, or use margarita salt.
- Place 1 ½ oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, and 1 oz lime juice in a cocktail shaker, add 4 ice cubes, and shake until cold.
- Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Then, carefully pour 1 oz Grand Marnier onto the top of the drink over an inverted spoon. Serve immediately, straight up in a margarita glass or on the rocks in a lowball glass with clear ice.
Variations on the salt rim
You can use simple kosher salt for the rim or step it up with colorful margarita salt with lime and orange zest. Or, try a Tajín rim. It’s a Mexican seasoning blend of chili peppers, lime, and salt that adds a burst of tangy, spicy flavor.
Choosing your glassware
I prefer serving a Cadillac margarita in traditional margarita glasses for the full experience, but rocks glasses work beautifully, too. The wide rim of a margarita glass showcases the salt rim. For a more casual approach, you can serve on the rocks in a lowball glass with one large clear ice cube.
Frequently asked questions
A classic margarita uses tequila, lime juice, and sweetener, while a Cadillac margarita adds a splash of luxury with Grand Marnier, a French orange liqueur. This gives the Cadillac margarita a smoother, more complex flavor profile. Some Cadillac margaritas also use a premium tequila or a tequila reposado.
You can add a hint of simple syrup or agave nectar to taste.
Simple kosher salt works well, or try mixing it up with margarita salt, a chili lime salt rim for a spicy kick, or a Tajín rim.
Cadillac Margarita
Step up your margarita game with a perfect Cadillac margarita! This sophisticated twist on the classic cocktail uses premium tequila and Grand Marnier for smooth, nuanced flavors.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces best quality tequila reposado
- 1 ounce Cointreau (or triple sec)
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier
- Kosher salt or flaky sea salt, for the rim
- For the garnish: lime wedge
Instructions
- Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of flaky sea salt, or for a festive look, use margarita salt.
- Place tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in a mixing glass and fill with 4 ice cubes. Shake until cold.
- Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim.
- Carefully pour the Grand Marnier onto the top of the drink over an inverted spoon. (It will float on top, then gradually sink to the bottom over time).
- Serve straight up in a margarita glass or on the rocks in a lowball glass with clear ice, garnished with a lime wedge.
Notes
To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
Sweet variation: If you prefer a margarita on the sweeter side, add a hint of simple syrup or agave nectar, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon).
Rim variations: Try margarita salt, a chili lime salt rim for a spicy kick, or a Tajín rim.
More cocktail ideas
This Cadillac margarita is an excellent choice, but here are a few more of more refreshing cocktail recipes you might also enjoy:
- This mojito recipe is perfectly balanced with lime, rum, and fresh mint.
- The Paloma is a relative of the margarita, an easy Mexican cocktail starring grapefruit instead of lime.
- A good gin and tonic is a refreshing and fun 2-ingredient cocktail.
The Grand Marnier will originally float, then sink to the bottom as the drink sits!
Let us know if you have any questions!
Using Grand Marnier and Cointreau for a Cadillac Margarita is great, bur for a quite surprising good taste, use Mandarine Napoleon instead of the two, or mix to your taste. You may, like I did, get addicted to it.
Happy Cinco De Mayo ! ……….. Oh ! No ! That’s when the Mexicans did throw the French out ! LOL !
Ha!
A silver/blanco tequila has not been aged at all. A reposado has been aged for 2 months to a year. An añejo tequila is aged more than a year.
Great drink recipe. I personally like it over rocks, but just my preference.