Big-batch margaritas for 16: fresh lime juice, tequila, orange liqueur and a little simple syrup, mixed the night before and kept cold in sealed jugs. At the lot you pour them over ice from a pitcher or a drink dispenser, with a salt rim if you want one, so nobody is juicing limes on the tailgate.
Serves: 16 (about 11 cups) · Hands-on: about 25 min · Total: about 2½ hours, mostly chilling
Home gear: a juicer, a small saucepan, two ½-gallon jugs with tight lids
Pack for the lot
- 2 jugs of margaritas, in the cooler
- Lime wedges, sealed, in the cooler
- Jar of coarse salt and a small plate
- Bag of ice for the cups
- Pitcher or a 1-gallon drink dispenser
- Tub or deep pan for ice, if you're using a dispenser
- 20 cups
- Napkins and trash bags
Lot notes
- Alcohol: 21 and over only. Check your lot's open-container rule in your stadium guide first, because some stadiums and states ban open containers in the lots. Line up a sober driver before the first pour.
- Fuel: none. It's all done at home.
- Holding it cold: keep the jugs at 40°F or below in the cooler. Ice goes in the cups, never in the dispenser, or the whole batch waters down by halftime.
- Two ice bags: the cooler ice has touched the jugs. Bring a separate bag for the cups.
- Cleanup: rinse the dispenser at home. Lime rinds and cups go in the trash bag.
Can you make margaritas ahead of time?
Yes. Mix the base the night before and keep it capped in the fridge. Fresh lime juice starts to taste flat after about a day, so don't go further ahead than that.
How do you keep margaritas cold at a tailgate?
Leave the jugs in the cooler and pour into a pitcher or dispenser one jug at a time. If you use a dispenser, set it in a tub of ice in the shade, and keep the ice in the cups.
How much do you need for 20 people?
Multiply by 1¼: 5 cups of tequila (about 1½ liter bottles), 2½ cups of lime juice (about 25 limes), 2½ cups of orange liqueur, about 1 cup of simple syrup and 2½ cups of water. That's about 14 cups, one 5-oz pour each with a little left over.
Can you make it without alcohol?
Yes. Mix a separate jug of 1 cup lime juice, 1 cup orange juice and ½ cup simple syrup, and top each cup with sparkling water at the lot. Keep it in its own labeled jug so nobody grabs the wrong one.
How many limes do you need for big-batch margaritas?
About 20 for the 2 cups of juice, since a lime gives about 2 tbsp. Buy 4 more for wedges, and a few extra in case some are dry.