This Trader Joe's Margarita Hack Couldn't Be Easier (Just Add Tequila)

A big beautiful pitcher of margaritas at a party — replete with proper glassware and salted rims that glimmer like tiny diamonds in the sun — is an invitation; a simple signal to guests that they are not only welcome, but warmly looked after. For the host, however, that same signature batch of cocktails is a lot of work. There are limes to squeeze — rinds piling higher as the juice seems to only trickle in — and there are measures of triple sec to balance with tequila for just the right amount of sweetness.

If you're preparing margaritas in smaller quantities, there is an easier recipe that also keeps your hands free for toasts: A bottle of Trader Joe's organic jalapeño limeade. It even gives your drink an extra kick, without having to slice up yet another ingredient for your homemade mix.

It isn't hard to make a batch of margaritas per se, but it is time consuming. The DIY route, while rewarding, can also test the limits of your grip if you've only got a handheld juicer to work with. One lime contains just about an ounce of juice (that's less than a standard shot, for reference). If you're making an entire pitcher, you would need to squeeze at least eight of them to balance out the tequila and triple sec. Or, for about $2.79 (depending on your location), TJ's jalapeño limeade lets you skip that first crucial step, and cuts the bulk of your margarita-making minutes by acting as an instant base.

Trader Joe's jalapeño limeade should also slake any bad memories of treacly margarita mixes with nebulous compositions. Its ingredients include water, all-organic lime juice, jalapeño powder, and cane sugar — which even lets you cut the triple sec you'd normally need for any margarita quantity. It also promises only the mildest notes of chili peppers, calibrated to please even the heat-averse, and saves all that citrus to spritz on your accompanying guacamole and fish tacos.