Chili’s Presidente Margarita

Chili’s Presidente Margarita is truly a special drink made with anejo tequila, brandy, orange liqueur, and sour mix. This tasty cocktail is perfect for any fun occasion.

homemade Chili's Presidente Margarita on top of coasters

Make Chili’s Presidente Margarita at Home

Chili’s makes one of the best margaritas ever. You don’t have to decide who is going to be the designated driver. Now everyone can drink when you make your favorite cocktails at home.

Chili’s Bar and Grill serves up a wide range of popular American comfort foods and Southwest favorites, but the list of Chili’s drink recipes go beyond just the ordinary. Chili’s is one chain that prides itself on serving up some of the best Margaritas around. But perhaps the most loved of Chili’s Margarita recipes is the Presidente. Chili’s Presidente Margarita is a premium cocktail that uses only top-shelf ingredients to re-imagine the idea of what a great Margarita can be by creating a smooth drink with a lot of kick. You will definitely want to sip this one slow to savor it.

The Ingredients of Chili’s Presidente Margarita

Suaza Commemorativo

Although most Margaritas are made with a blanco tequila, meaning a clear and unaged tequila, the Presidente Margarita requires one that is much older. Suaza Commemorativo rests for years in oak casks to smooth the rough edges common in younger tequila and develop a distinctive taste. If you are unable to find this premium spirit, you use any añejo tequila.

Presidente Brandy

Presidente Brandy is the spirit that not only lends its name to the cocktail but also makes it truly specialPresidente Brandy is the best-selling liquor in Mexico, and for a good reason, it is impressive stuff. Smooth, with just a bit of bite, it pairs surprisingly well with an older tequila. But Presidente Brandy does come at a premium price. Therefore, you may wish to substitute a less expensive brand like E&J.

Patron Citronge Orange

Patron Citronge Orange takes the place of ordinary Triple Sec in this Margarita recipe. Distilled in Mexico, this pure and 100 percent natural orange-flavored liqueur has a wonderfully bold flavor that can stand out in this cocktail. If you cannot find Patron Citronge Orange, you can use Cointreau or Triple Sec in its place.

Something This Good Deserves a Fair Shake

Chili’s takes great care in crafting extraordinary cocktails, even going as far as advertising that they give each one of their Presidente Margaritas 25 shakes by hand. Whether 25 is the optimum number of shakes is still open to debate, the need for some serious shaking is not. Shaking not only mixes and cools the cocktail, but it slightly dilutes it while incorporating air that helps to bring out the complex flavors of the drink.

Tips for Making and Serving Chili’s Presidente Margarita

  • Use a Margarita glass. Sure, you can use any type of glass you want to serve this cocktail, but this premium drink deserves a proper Margarita glass. Not only does the stem allow you to hold the glass without warming it, but the extra-wide rim also allows for plenty of salt.
  • Rim the glass with salt. Sometimes salt on the rim is overkill, but not for this recipe. Use a lime wedge to moisten the glass’s edge and then dip it onto a plate full of Margarita salt.
  • Make your own Margarita salt. Combine the zest of one lime and half of an orange with two tablespoons of kosher salt. Use a rolling pin to crush together.

Check out more of our Chili’s recipes on YouTube!

Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Anejo tequila, Suaza Commemorativo recommended
  • Presidente brandy or your favorite brandy 
  • Orange liqueur (Patron Citronge, Cointreau, or triple sec)
  • Sour Mix
  • Lime
  • Margarita salt
Chili's Presidente Margarita ingredients

How to Make Chili’s Presidente Margarita

  1. Cut the lime into wedges.
  2. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a margarita glass.
    rubbing a lime wedge on the rim of a margarita glass
  3. Dip wet glass rim into margarita salt.
    rimming a margarita glass with salt
  4. Fill the glass with ice. 
  5. In a cocktail shaker, add tequila, brandy, orange liquor, and sour mix.
    pouring ingredients for Chili's Presidente Margarita in a cocktail shaker
  6. Add ice to the shaker.
    homemade Chili's Presidente Margarita and ice in a cocktail shaker
  7. Shake until blended.
    homemade Chilis Presidente Margarita in a cocktail shaker
  8. Strain and pour over the ice in the margarita glass.
two homemade Chili's Presidente Margaritas

Love Chili’s? Try these copycat recipes!

For more great drinks try The Bartender’s Companion: A Complete Drink Recipe Guide by Robert Plotkin.

Check out more of my copycat restaurant recipes and the best cocktail recipes here on CopyKat!

homemade Chili's Presidente Margarita on top of coasters

Chili’s Presidente Margarita

You can make Chili's famous presidente margarita at home.
5 from 7 votes
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Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Chilis Recipes, Presidente Margarita
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 195kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 ounce Sauza Commemorativo Anejo Tequila
  • 1/2 ounce Presidente Brandy
  • 1/2 ounce Patron Citronge
  • 3 ounces sour mix
  • splash lime juice

Instructions

  • Cut lime into wedges.
  • Rim glass with 1 wedge of lime.
  • Dip wet margarita glass rim into margarita salt.
  • In a boston shaker add tequila, brandy, orange liquor, fill with ice.
  • Shake. Pour over fresh ice in the salt rimmed margarita glass.

Equipment

Boston Shaker

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 16mg | Sugar: 14g

A fellow viewer graciously submitted this recipe!

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joan L.

    5 stars
    This sounds great. Under the ingredients you have Cointreau listed. Going further down in the description of the different ingredients you have Patron Citronge Orange. Grand Marnier is also a higher end orange liqueur that could replace either of those. Also, you list sour mix under the ingredients but, in the directions you do not state when you add it. I am guessing to the cocktail shaker along with the other ingredients????

  2. Cheri

    You go into great detail for all the steps and ingredients except the 3 oz. of sour mix. What is in it? Can it be made at home if so what is the recipe? If not what is your recommended brand?

    • Stephanie Manley

      I usually use Master of Mixes for most cocktails when I make them. Because I think this would represent a normal every day bar. When making cocktails for friends on a cocktail night, I will make it from scratch. When I make it from scratch I combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup lime juice, 1 cup water, and 1 cup demerara sugar. You need to store this in the fridge, the shelf life on this is about a week.

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