I Compared My Go-to Margarita Recipe to Trader Joe’s Mix—Here’s the Winner

What makes a good margarita? It depends on who you ask.

If you’re asking me, I would say that it should be crisp and bright, made with freshly squeezed limes and a hint of sweetness. I want to sense that the tequila is there, but I don’t want it to be the prominent flavor. It should be shaken and served over ice in a glass rimmed with salt.

That kind of from-scratch margarita requires a bit of work, though, and I’m not always up for being a home bartender. Sometimes, I want a cold drink on the porch right now.

Since I’ve tried Trader Joe’s mix, I knew it would be a worthy contender against my homemade margarita. I made one of each to find out which is best, and there’s only one I’ll be drinking all summer long.

Trader Joe’s Margarita Mix vs. Homemade Margaritas

The best mixed drinks start with quality spirits. Using bad tequila can ruin your margarita, so for this test, I used Casamigos. It’s a light and refreshing tequila that’s also reasonably priced.

I whipped up a batch of margaritas using the Trader Joe’s mix and then another batch using freshly squeezed lime juice, a bit of fresh orange juice, and some agave for sweetness.

I served both blends over ice in a salt-rimmed juice glass with a slice of lime. I gave one of each to my husband, then I grabbed mine, and we took them out to our deck to sip.

My Winner: Homemade Margarita

Yep, my homemade margarita won this taste test. In my opinion, once you’ve equalized the alcohol, it’s all about the fresh lime juice.

While I really like Trader Joe’s margarita mix, which also happens to be organic, it can’t compete with freshly squeezed lime juice. Drinks with fresh lime juice are brighter and feel more refreshing than the premade stuff.

That being said, if I’m serving guests, you bet I’ll bring out Trader Joe’s margarita mix. To mellow out the sweetness and add some vibrancy, I’ll add freshly squeezed lime juice to the mix before shaking or stirring. If I’m making a pitcher, I’ll toss in a bunch of sliced limes so that it can steep as it sits.

I also want to use the margarita mix for this Trader Joe’s summer cocktail, which is made with whiskey.

Bottom line, though, homemade margaritas with fresh lime juice will always be my (and my husband’s) favorite!