Margs from p 24 This split base functions as intended, channeling a classic margarita while also nodding to a few of bacanora’s more rug- ged, grassier notes. You can almost taste something of the desert. There’s also a thin puff of smoke. The kicker, exclamation, and probably even the drink’s heartbeat is its rim, lined with citrus rind, sugar, and chiltepin dust. From the moment the cold glass is plunked lovingly on your table, that rim creates a tapestry of sweetness, spice, per- fumy fragrance, and depth of flavor that catapults each sip of crisp bacanorita into a league of its own. These are some of my favorites. Ask me again in a few months, and they may change. And that’s because a great margar- ita is about more than flavor, more than balance, more than tequila, more than even the blessed feeling one can spawn. A standout margarita is also about ex- ternal factors: the weather, the heat, the dryness, your thirst, the day of the week, your work schedule, your mood, your mind, your dreams and their closeness or distance. It’s also about who you’re with and what you’re doing. Good people throwing back several? This is an A+ ingre- dient. Friends looking to inhale mariscos and down well margaritas for $5 a piece? Now we’re adding something Cointreau can’t. In this way, a bad margarita can be stel- lar. When the chimichanga and music and conversation hits right, that well margarita made from suboptimal mixto tequila can dazzle. When the elements align for a thought- ful, well-crafted margarita, nirvana swoops in close. This zen state can descend at places I’ve covered and places I haven’t. We live in a margarita wonderland, mean- ing you shouldn’t stress too much about finding the best one. If you kick open the door to your mind and keep drinking and exploring, they’ll come to you. Melissa Campana Recipe: The Barrio Cafe Lowrider Margarita 2 ounces of Don Julio Blanco .5 ounces of Cointreau .5 ounces of simple syrup 1 ounce of lime juice. Directions: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake hard. Pour into a glass with ice. 27 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES SEPT 9TH – SEPT 15TH, 2021
