Hong Kong bartender Jay Khan has created Patrón Tequila’s 2019 Margarita of the Year with his Dynasty Margarita. The citrusy and sweet cocktail incorporates the traditional Chinese ingredients of lychee and ginger with the fresh agave notes of Patrón Silver tequila and Patrón Citrónge orange liqueur.
Now in its fifth year, Patrón’s search for the Margarita of the Year began on International Margarita Day (Feb. 22) when eight bartenders unveiled their unique Margarita recipes using Patrón tequilas and ingredients inspired by their respective regions. Margarita fans were encouraged to taste the recipes and select their favorite by casting votes through Patrón’s social platforms, MargaritaOfTheYear.com and throughout events in each of the U.S. finalists’ hometowns. In addition to Khan, the Margaritas and participants include:
- “Paseo Margarita” with coconut and basil, by Jacyara de Oliveira in Chicago.
- “Pasifika Margarita” with pineapple and coconut, by Samuel Jimenez in Oakland, CA.
- “Golden Hour Margarita” with turmeric and pineapple, by Natalie Jacob in New York.
- “Flamingo Park Margarita” with grapefruit, by Tyler Kitzman in Miami.
- “Margarita Caliente” with passion fruit and chipotle, by Adrian Rosales in Guadalajara.
- “Margarita Amore” with apple and chili pepper, by Cristian Bugiada in Rome.
- “Wild Rose Margarita” with juniper and rose, by Makina Labrecque in Calgary.
More than 4 million votes were cast for the 2019 Margarita of the Year contenders. The Hong Kong-inspired Dynasty Margarita was selected as the winner on April 25, in a global finale at Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco, Mexico. Here’s the full recipe for the cocktail.
Dynasty Margarita
1 ½ oz. Patrón Silver tequila
½ oz. Patrón Citrónge orange liqueur
¼ oz. St. Germain liqueur
¾ oz. Fresh lime juice
¼ oz. Ginger syrup, such as Liber & Co.
3 Fresh or canned lychees
Rim a rocks glass with grapefruit salt. Place lychees in a cocktail shaker and add remaining ingredients with ice. Shake hard and double strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime twist.