What would Cinco de Mayo be without a Lone Star Margarita? Fortunately, you’ll never have to know.

“I heard people were selling Margaritas in other states, and in states with liquor laws like ours people were selling cocktail mixes,” says Lone Star Taco Bar co-owner Max Toste. “So, we figured it’s pretty much a no-brainer to sell our fresh Margarita mix.”

That closely guarded mix—made with lime juice, lemon juice, a trace amount of orange juice, simple syrup, and a secret ingredient for color—is available for takeout at both Lone Star Taco Bar locations, as well as their sister establishment Deep Ellum.

Once the mix is in hand, all that’s needed is blanco tequila and orange liqueur. For the latter ingredient, Toste recommends using Combier or Cointreau, which are both made with neutral grain spirit, rather than the brandy-based Grand Marnier—unless you want to make a different type of Margarita altogether.

“That would be more of a Cadillac [Margarita] style, which would have a richer, more orangey flavor than a classic Margarita,” he says.

And while not strictly necessary, a salted rim is an easy way to bump up your Margarita to bar-quality. For that finishing touch, Toste recommends gently running a slice of lime around the rim so it releases just enough juice to pick up the salt from a dish and keep it in place.

“The trick of a salted rim is to get the rim just wet enough to pick up the salt, but not so wet that when you rim it, the salt runs down the glass,” he says.

Once you’ve used that lime slice, consider giving it a squeeze into the finished Margarita, because as Toste says: “Why not?”

Lone Star Margarita
2 ounces blanco tequila
2 ounces Lone Star Margarita Mix
½ ounce orange liqueur
Lime wedge and salt, for garnish (optional)

Add all ingredients except garnishes to a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and (if desired) rimmed with salt. Squeeze lime wedge into Margarita to garnish and discard.