Which cocktail is built with tequila, triple sec, and fresh lime juice, shaken in a chilled glass, and served with a salt rim?

• A. Margarita
• B. Sidecar
• C. Paloma
• D. Long Island Iced Tea

Answer: (A)

Focus on the flavor trio and how it’s served. A Margarita is built with tequila as the base, balanced by orange liqueur (triple sec) and fresh lime juice. It’s typically shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass, with a salt rim to enhance the citrus-tequila contrast. This combination and presentation are distinctive to a Margarita.

The Sidecar uses cognac or brandy with lemon juice and orange liqueur, not tequila. The Paloma pairs tequila with grapefruit soda or juice and lime but usually doesn’t include orange liqueur. The Long Island Iced Tea mixes several spirits plus cola and isn’t defined by a salt rim or this exact lime-tequila-orange ratio. So the drink described is the Margarita.