I'm Drinking Simone Biles's Favorite Cocktail All Summer Long

My son and his gymnastics teammates can’t wait to watch USA gymnastics go for the gold in Paris this summer.

Though we’re quite anxious to see if the American men can improve this year, the gymnast we’re really going to watch is, of course, Simone Biles. My son and his friends love her—yes, that’s right—teen boys respect what she can do. 

My son’s coach, Mitch Connor, even got to meet her in person. USAG—USA Gymnastics to everyone else—sent him and his family to watch the American championships last summer after he was recognized as a national double goal winner from the Positive Coaching Alliance. 

“You don’t really understand what kind of power she has until you see her in person,” Coach Mitch told me. “Even if you’re impressed by what you see on TV, she’s more amazing in person.”  And yes, he says, she’s just as nice as you’d imagine. 

So, of course, when we host the gym families this summer at our Olympics watch party, I will be serving Simone’s favorite cocktail: the margarita. Simone loves margaritas, as she’s said in several interviews, and she even posted that her favorite holiday is National Margarita Day on Instagram.

What You Need for a Truly Great Margarita

I’m known for bringing margaritas to family parties, as I make a killer marg.

If you’re going to make a good margarita, you need to start with a good tequila. What’s “good” is subjective, and I’m all about finding a tequila that matches your taste buds. As for myself, one of the main things I look for in a tequila is that it's additive-free. 

Many tequilas contain caramel coloring, glycerine, oak extract, and jarabe, which is a type of sugar syrup. Tequila Matchmaker has a list of additive-free brands, and some that I adore include Siempre, El Bandito Yankee, Tears of Llorona, and Dulce Vida. 

You also need to start with fresh juice or fruit. Fresh lime juice is a must, and if you’re doing a strawberry marg, for example, use fresh strawberries. 

For the sweetener, use real sugar or agave to make a simple syrup. Just whisk together equal parts hot water and sugar or agave (or a mixture of both).

For a traditional margarita, you also need a good orange liqueur. Cointreau and Grand Marnier are my go-tos for nationally available brands, and locally, I love Great Lakes Distillery’s Good Land Orange Liqueur. 

How Simone Biles Takes Her Margaritas

Finally, consider the garnish. A salt rim and wheel or wedge of fresh lime is traditional, but you can also spice it up, which is how Simone prefers her cocktail. Simone’s favorite garnish is Tajín, which you can find at most grocery stores. 

From the photos I’ve seen, Simone drinks her margaritas on the rocks, but you can also put all of the ingredients into a blender with ice to make yours frozen.

How To Make My Simone Biles-Inspired Margarita

• Glass: rocks, poco, or margarita
• Tajín rim: 1 teaspoon Tajín seasoning mixed with 1 teaspoon sea salt (preferably coarse) and a pinch of sugar (optional); 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 1/2 ounces of your favorite tequila
• 1/2 ounce orange liqueur
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 3/4 ounce agave syrup (or simple syrup)
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Ice
  
• Garnish: 1 lime wheel or wedge

To prepare the glass, mix the Tajín and sea salt (and a pinch of sugar if using), and pour onto a shallow dish with a rim. Then, pour lime juice onto another plate. Dip the rim of the glass into the lime juice, then dip and twist into the mix of seasoning and salt. Set aside.

Add the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, agave syrup, and bitters to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake for 30 seconds. Fill the rimmed glass with ice, strain the margarita into the prepared glass, add a lime wheel or wedge, and drink like a champion.