Margarita of the Year
San Antonio bartender's spicy cocktail crowned margarita of the year

Margaritas are practically part of the food pyramid in San Antonio. And while everyone might have an opinion on where to find the perfect margarita in the city, one local mixologist is now able to lay claim to concocting the best margarita.
Jordan Corney, a bartender at Bohanan’s, recently competed in Patrón Tequila’s global search for Margarita of the Year — and won. He was one of seven bartenders across the U.S. and Mexico selected to partake, with nearly 50,000 votes cast during the contest.
Each bartender created a recipe for a distinct style of margarita to celebrate the “increasing popularity, incredible versatility, and fascinating backstory of this iconic cocktail.” The recipes — herbal, spicy, smoky, savory, modern, tropical, and classic — were posted for daily public voting.
After votes were tallied, the top three favorites competed in a final showdown in New York last week. At a grand celebration, Corney’s spicy margarita was crowned Margarita of the Year.
Ready your palates for one hell of a cocktail: The Rosa Picante Margarita from Corney incorporates his “personal style, regional influences, and culinary trends,” all requirements of the coveted Patrón competition.
“Where I’m from in Texas, jalapeño margaritas are everywhere. You muddle jalapeño into a shaker, and people love it,” says Corney. “I was looking for a way to take that and dress it up a little.”
Using classic ingredients like jalapeño and lime and more unusual 'rita ingredients like ginger syrup and rosewater, the Rosa Picante packs a well-rounded amount of heat.
“It was an honor to be asked to help Patrón create a recipe for one of the margarita styles to compete for this year’s Margarita of the Year, and I’m enormously excited that the spicy cocktail I developed was voted as the favorite,” he says. “But really, there’s no style of margarita that’s the best. It’s all a matter of personal preference.”
For those who prefer spice, try your hand at making the Rosa Picante at home:
Rosa Picante Margarita by Jordan Corney
Ingredients:
2 ounces Patrón Silver
0.5 ounce Patrón Citrónge lime liqueur
1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
0.5 ounce ginger syrup
Bar spoon of jalapeño oil
Dash rosewater
Rose petal sea salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe that has been half-rimmed with rose sea salt, and top with a dash of rosewater. Garnish with a rose petal, if available.
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