Flawless Margaritas at Hecho en Dumbo
The very first I was ever really drunk-drunk, I was sixteen and in Monte Carlo for one day. I had a margarita at a shitty tourist sidewalk cafe and thought it was the best thing I’d ever tasted. In reality it probably tasted terrible, but getting drunk for the first time in Europe among other young people was so fun that I decided that margaritas were my absolute favorite.
As an older somewhat more seasoned drinker I know that a good margarita is amazing, but I also know that unlike many other cocktails a poorly made one is absolutely undrinkable. Because so many shitty bars use a margarita mix instead of actual lime juice and triple sec, you’re very often asking for a syrupy, sweet-acidy nightmare flavored with a little tequila. No margarita should look anything like the short-lived but delightful Ghostbusters tie-in “Ecto-Cooler”.
For that reason I usually limit my margarita intake to good Mexican restaurants, or high quality bars that have it on their cocktail menu. I never fuck with the frozen stuff and I never drink a margarita that comes in one of these glasses.
As is the sad reality in New York lots of Latin food, despite being made out of dirt-cheap ingredients, suffers an absurdly high markup. No burrito should cost more than $8 so that’s my cap. This reality sadly extends to the margarita, and my same I won’t pay more than $12 for one. It’s lucky then that Hecho en Dumbo which recently relocated to Bowery, makes theirs for just $10. They are perfect, never made with mix, a great balance of acid and warm tequila without the unpleasant burny-ness of those “margaritas” you sucked down during spring break in the Cancun Airport. They make it a rocks glass, no nonsense, and with a nice sturdy salt rim the way God and nature intended.
Plus potency wise, two of those gets the job done pretty well.
Hecho en Dumbo
354 Bowery btw Great Jones & East 4th St
[East Village]
