Ingredients

Lemon Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

4 lemons, zest peeled

1½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cocktail

2 cups lemon simple syrup, chilled (recipe above)

12 ounces tequila, chilled

6 ounces orange liqueur, like Cointreau, chilled

Orange rounds, coarse sea salt, and frozen lemon wedges or ice, for serving

Chef notes

Mix up a pitcher of this make-ahead margarita for a cookout. Mezcal, tequila's smoky cousin, gives the drink its signature flavor.

Swap option: For a version without smokiness, use silver tequila in place of mezcal.

Preparation

For the lemon simple syrup:

In a saucepan, combine sugar, lemon zest, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Strain, discard zest; stir in lemon juice.

Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container until cold, at least one hour and up to two weeks.

For the cocktail:

In a pitcher, stir together syrup, tequila, and liqueur. Cover and refrigerate up to one day, if desired. Run an orange round along the rim of each serving glass; dip each rim in salt. Add orange rounds and frozen lemon wedges to pitcher.

Pour drinks into prepared glasses; serve with more orange rounds and frozen lemon wedges.

Martha Stewart's Smoky Lemon Margarita