Everything I Use to Make—and Serve—the Perfect Margarita

 

There’s nothing quite as refreshing as the classic sweet, sour, and salty margarita. Frozen or blended, the team at Culinary Hill loves them all—especially Meggan’s twist on a strawberry margarita! Whether you’re gearing up for a Cinco de Mayo bash or your next Taco Tuesday, with the best margarita tools it’s easier than you think to make restaurant-quality margaritas at home.

From blenders to cocktail shakers, these are the tools Meggan uses in her own kitchen and always has on hand for a makeshift margarita bar. All you need next is a go-to margarita recipe and your own custom margarita salt that’s easy to make and rims a glass perfectly.

With our top picks for the essential margarita tools, you’ll be adding a little fiesta to your Friday in no time. Here are Meggan’s picks for the best margarita tools.

Meggan’s Picks for the Best Margarita Tools:

1. Meggan’s Blender for Frozen Margaritas: Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender – $649.95 at Amazon
2. Meggan’s Favorite Cocktail Shaker: Homestia Gold Cocktail Shaker Set – $28.99 at Amazon
3. Best Margarita Glasses: Emporion Hand-Blown Margarita Glasses – $39.95 at Amazon
4. Best Margarita Salt: Williams Sonoma Mini Margarita Salt Set – $26.95 at Williams Sonoma

Reviews of The Best Margarita Tools

1. Meggan’s Blender for Frozen Margaritas: Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender

If you like your margs frozen, not stirred, you need  a quality blender for the most consistent (read: least icy). When reviewing the best blender for frozen drinks, Meggan’s top pick was naturally her Vitamix blender. It’s easy to use, has 10 speeds, a self-cleaning feature, and the power to crush ice into oblivion so fast that you’ll feel like a professional mixologist.

It’s been Meggan’s go-to for margaritas and other frozen drinks ever since she first discovered it at Culinary School back in 2016. “I love the manual speed dial for complete control—just turn it up or down,” Meggan says. “I find that so much more intuitive than pushing a single button only to watch the blender run through a set of pre-programmed blending speeds of its own accord.”

2. Meggan’s Favorite Cocktail Shaker: Homestia Gold Cocktail Shaker Set

Meggan owns several cocktail shakers (four to be exact!), but she reaches for her Homestia one the most and uses it for a well-shaken margarita. It features a chic gold color and comes with basically everything you’ll need for cocktails, including a jigger, stirrer, muddler, and more. Meggan loves that it offers great value, and she can reach for one tool to make various cocktails. In fact, after purchasing one, she swiftly purchased two more for her team.

3. Meggan’s Favorite Margarita Glasses: Emporion Hand-Blown Margarita Glasses

These margarita glasses were made by hand in Mexico by master glass-blowers and are the perfect vessel to hold your tequila-infused beverage. The cobalt blue rim is stunning, the glass is lead-free, and they’re sturdy enough to be washed in the dishwasher—but top rack only. If these aren’t your style Meggan also has some simple glass options that she recommends. 

Other Great Margarita Glasses:

• For a Classic Look: Libbey Yucatan Margarita Glasses  – $29.99 at Target
• For a More Modern Take: Libbey Blue Ribbon Stemless Margarita Glasses – $39.99 at Target

4. Best Margarita Salt: Williams Sonoma Mini Margarita Salt Set

The salted rim can make or break your margarita on the rocks. If you feel up for it, you can make your own margarita salt for pennies on the dollar. Or, you can experiment with the diverse flavors like that come in this multi-pack of premade salt, including the spicy and sweet chile (sea salt, cane sugar, ancho, and jalapeño chiles), sweet and tart lime (sea salt, cane sugar, and lime), and spicy pineapple (cane sugar, pineapple, lime, and jalapeños).

5. Best Margarita Pitcher: Dos Suenos Mexican Hand-Blown Pitcher

Whip up a batch of margs for a crowd with this ice bucket that is handmade by skilled artisans in Mexico. It boasts an iconic Mexican style (that matches Meggan’s pick for glasses) with a beautiful cobalt rim, holds approximately 84 fluid ounces, and is sturdy and dishwasher-safe. Because it’s hand-made, there will slight variations in the glass, which make it all the more authentic. 

6. Best Mixing Glass: Mixologists Cocktail Mixing Glass

If you just need to mix up a couple of margaritas for you and a friend or just a massive one for yourself after a long week (hey, no judgment here!), Meggan loves this mixing glass because you can stir your ingredients in it before pouring it over ice, so the flavors don’t get watered down. Pair it with Meggan’s favorite bar spoon from Homestia and you’ll be in business.

7. Best Lime Juicer: KitchenAid No Mess Citrus Squeezer

If your marg is going to be authentic, you need the freshest lime juice possible. Keep it simple with this hand-held juicer that has a built-in strainer to catch unwanted pulp and seeds. It only takes up little space for storage, is easy to use, and can be tossed in the dishwasher without needing to fuss with multiple parts.

8. Best Jigger: Briout Double Cocktail Jigger

If you want to play mixologist, you need to look the part with this jigger that has a sleek style. Meggan loves this one for its gold color and sleek aesthetic for entertaining. Its two-sided design measures both 1-ounce and 2-ounce pours, so you’ll get perfect proportions of high-quality tequila, triple sec, and fresh citrus juice each time. Plus, it’s quite inexpensive and a worthy addition to your bar setup

9. Best Ice Bucket: Mr. Ice Bucket Gold Double Walled Bucket

The ice bucket that Meggan uses is an absolute showstopper! This 3-quart bucket is sleek with a brushed gold finish that resists condensation so you won’t have a messy water ring to clean up, and it’s insulated with double walls so it can hold ice for anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. 

10. Best Cocktail Picks: Viski Gold Art Deco Cocktail Picks and Patelai Hawaiian Luau Assorted Picks

Use these stylish picks to accessorize your garnishes! The four-pack of 5-inch gold Art Deco picks will dress your drink up. Plus, they help hold your lime, lemon, or orange garnishes securely in place. They’re so pretty you might want to pick up an extra set to stash away for the next time you need a hostess gift. For a more fun, tropical feel, Meggan also likes these luau-themed picks from Patelai.

Buy the Viski Gold Art Deco Cocktail Picks: 

Buy the Patelai Hawaiian Luau Assorted Picks: 

11. Best Cocktail Napkins: Sparkle and Bash Fruit Cocktail Napkins

Cocktail napkins are the finishing touch to any cocktail party. Not only are they fun to match with a theme, but they prevent condensation rings from forming on your furniture, make it easy to sop up any spills, and they can be used as finger napkins to serve alongside your guac and chips. Meggan has a few in her rotation but loves these Sparkle and Bash napkins for their pretty gold edges.

Other Great Cocktail Napkins: 

• Talking Tables Pack of 20 Tropical Cocktail Napkins – $6.99 at Amazon
• The Essential Concierge Store Pack of 100 Gold Dot Napkins – $12.99 at Amazon

12. Best Cutting Board: Stanton Trading Plastic Cutting Board

You don’t want to gouge your counter while slicing all those limes, so this cutting board is a must-have. Meggan is absolutely obsessed with the full size version of this cutting board, and recommends this mini one for piercing smaller produce. The price is remarkably low for a cutting board that is approved for commercial use, has two sides, and will last you for years. It’s not too fancy, but this cutting board brings you a little closer to professional mixologist status.  

13. Best Bar Cart: Silverwood Sinclair 2 Tier Metal and Glass Bar Cart

If you’re going to set up a gorgeous home bar for entertaining, why not go all in with a golden bar cart to clinch the deal? This cart has two glass tiers, three built-in wine bottle holders, and a floating shelf. It’s easy to assemble, is well built, and looks a lot more expensive than it is. Aside from your margarita tools, Meggan has plenty of tips on how to stock a bar cart to make all your other favorite cocktails.

Why You Can Trust Us

I’m Belle, an award-winning content creator, and adjunct professor who works in restaurant PR in the Midwest. Over the course of 20 years, I’ve held almost every position imaginable in various restaurants, including ownership of a Korean-concept hot dog cart (that was named after my dog’s teeth). My writing and on-camera work can be seen on the Better Homes & Gardens website. 

To create this guide for all things margarita, I worked with Meggan on the bar tools she already owns as well as any additional accessories she thinks are important to spruce up the cocktail. These items live in Meggan’s test kitchen and deserve a spot in your home as well.

The Best Margarita Recipes 

Making the classic sweet, sour, and salty marg is a lot easier than you’d think. Believe it or not, the classic margarita only has three ingredients: just high-quality tequila, triple sec, and the freshest citrus juice. However, there are a few additional takes on the classic, so check out Meggan’s favorite margarita recipes to serve restaurant-quality margaritas at home.

Cocktail Recipes

Margarita With Triple Sec

Cocktail Recipes

Margarita Slush

Cocktail Recipes

How to Make Strawberry Margaritas

Eats

Virgin Margarita Recipe

Cocktail Recipes

Margarita Salt

Looking to make margaritas for a crowd? These are the best margarita machines to make frozen margarita and other frozen drinks.

Prices were accurate at time of publication.