Margarita with Cadillac Foam and Sea Salt

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I never really venture too far outside of my comfort zone when it comes to cocktails. Sure, I’ve tried some strange combinations before, but when all is said and done I usually tend to stick to the classics.

Until this evening.

Maybe it was all the late-summer sun I got at the pool this afternoon before work. Maybe it was crawling around inside the keg cooler looking for a leak in the beer gas line.

Or maybe it was the f*cking iSi whipper that I’ve had sitting next to the cash register for several weeks now, staring at me and asking (not literally, at least I hope not) when I was going to actually try something new.

Well, I went out on a limb and tried something I’d wanted to do for a while: a deconstructed cocktail.

Being a Latin-American restaurant, we tend to make a lot of margaritas. Like, a lot of margaritas, so naturally I wanted to start there. I grabbed my iSi whipper, filled it with the ingredients I thought would make for a decent Cadillac foam, and set it to chill while I put together our basic margarita (see recipe below)

Then I grabbed my whipper, which I had already filled with…

2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 oz Grand Marnier
4 oz orange juice, finely strained
4 dashes peach bitters

…and double-charged with CO2. [EDIT: This should be NO2, not CO2]

I then laid down a nice, thick foam on top of the margarita I had just made. You can see how well they stay separated.

Running back to the kitchen, I grabbed some black Hawaiian sea salt for contrast and grated it into the foam.

Voila! The sweetness of the foam is wonderfully complemented by a tart, bracing blast of tequila and lime with each sip. And the presentation ain’t half bad, either, if I do say so myself.

Hey, you know what? That was really easy! I’m going to try to venture outside of my comfort zone more often.

Basic Margarita Print Me

  • 2 oz tequila
  • 1 oz triple sec
  • 1 oz lime juice
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 1 oz simple syrup
  1. Shake ingredients together over cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Recipe printed courtesy of jeffreymorgenthaler.com

23 Replies to “Margarita with Cadillac Foam and Sea Salt”

  • Mike says:

    Very cool! I always appreciate the recipes and information you provide. You mention using CO2, is that correct? I know the iSi can take either, but I thought nitrous oxide was more common for foams.

  • Thomas says:

    Hi Jeffrey. Huge fan, I know I’m late to the game to be asking this kind of question, but I haven’t had much luck finding any answers anywhere else. I followed your recipe and instructions 100%, and it comes out great! However, the foam dissolves within only a minute or two. Do you have the same issue? I tried doing 3 egg whites slightly beaten, but didn’t hold as long. I was thinking of adding half a gelatin sheet. What do you think?

  • Mark says:

    Does the size of the Isi Whipper affect the recipe of the foam? I found a 1-quart size and a 1-pint size whipper online and I’m not sure which one to choose.

  • Jonathan says:

    And I forgot the most important question: I’m not sure when i’ll be able to get my hands on a whipper–can i get reasonable results using a hand beater and spooning the frothy goodness on top?

  • Jonathan says:

    Jeff–I’ve enjoyed reading your site for years now, and your amazing recipes have formed the core of my personal repertoire. So thanks! I’ve never been a tequila/margarita fan, but a new friend is, and this recipe is inspiring me. Couple of questions: Do you have a tequila recommendation for this recipe? I’ve found a reposado jose cuervo (JC Tradicional) that is at the price point i’m willing to spend for my first serious try at margaritas (~$30). I’d be willing to stretch that a little if you have strong feelings about it. Secondly, is the syrup in this recipe your usual 2:1?

    Thanks again for all the drinks, you’ve been a real inspiration. If I ever find myself way out there in your town, you’ll be my first stop!

    -j

  • Kevin says:

    Hi Jeff, this got me thinking about the Manhattans my parents used to make by the pitcher when company was expected (Early 60’s). They’d always pour in some of the juice from the jar of cherries. Can you suggest a good starting point for some cherry foam?

  • Bryan says:

    This is not what I think of when it comes to Margaritas. Very classy. The black sea salt is brilliant.

  • pete says:

    if you can show me a video of you taking the blow torch to that thing, i’ll take one!

  • ok, ok, I got you the first time, ha ha.

    Oh, and Jeffrey, it’s only a 5 hour sprint UP I-5…. come hang out… maybe you’ll be able to drag Paul out… I’ve never even met the dude.

    Maybe we’ll meet halfway, which will put us where. . .somewhere around Kelso or Longview.. ok, bad idea.

    Oh yeah, but I gotta try this Margarita.

    Allright, twist my arm. I’ll see you soon…

  • Cameron, I haven’t tried lecithin yet, but it’s now on my to-do list. Thanks for the contact info!

    And Keith, it’s only a five-hour sprint down I-5!

  • well done brother. i’m not a big fan of foam in drinks, but this looks mighty tasty. gonna have to get down to eugene now.

  • Great to see you deconastructing cocktails. There are a lot of advantages of creating layered effects to hit the palate at differnt times. I have found foams and powders the most practical without comprimising quality. Have you tried using lecithin as a solidifier? It does a great job of staying stable and eliminates the flavor of egg whites. There is a great lady name Fany Setiyo that owns LeSanctuaire in the LA area. She sells quality lecithin as well as a wide aray of stabilizers.

    2710 Main Street

    Santa Monica, CA 90405

    tel. 310.581.8999

    fax. 310.581.8991

  • Jeffrey says:

    Boozemonkey, now that I’ve done my first successful foam I’ve certainly thought of savory foams. Something I’ve wanted to do for a while is take apart a Bloody Mary into its constituent pieces and tweak them – suspend the vodka in gelatin, turn the Worchestershire into a dust, foam the tomato, etc.

    I’ll let you know if I come up with anything!

  • Kappa says:

    Wow, for real, is this cooking, or bartending? Looks pretty amazing, thanks for the recipe I’m going to have to try this one out. Do you know any good places to buy the canister to make the foams?

  • McAuliflower says:

    My lip can practically feel the foam. The salt is a nice touch.

  • Boozemonkey says:

    I’ve got a bit of foam fear as it seems to be used a lot these days without reason, but you’ve given me a lot of reasons to renew my faith. That looks awesome. I know nothing of foaming, but have you thought of using it to add savory flavors like basil or ginger to a drink?

  • Jeffrey says:

    I found the consistency to be a lot more… consistent? The foam was richer and thicker than when I used just the one cartridge.

    Unfortunately I couldn’t find nitrous oxide cartridges yesterday, but I think that if I could, the texture would have been even silkier.

  • Anita says:

    the thought of double-charging foam never occurred to me. cool!

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