Have you ever been outside sipping a margarita and thought to yourself, this is just ok… but it could really be better. We have the same thought all the time! It’s not just the liquid ingredients that go into your drinks that make them special, but the garnishes too! A plain old ordinary salt rim just doesn’t cut it anymore. You spend all this time tweaking and balancing the perfect margarita just to throw plain boring salt on the rim. That doesn’t make any sense! Your cocktail game deserves some complexity. A bit of pizazz. That wow factor that will make your friends and family say – this is the best margarita I’ve ever had! Make me another please! We want that for you. And we’re going to give it to you. Beechwood Smoked Salt is here to take your ordinary margarita and make it absolutely out of this world! The complex combination of earthy smoky sea salt paired with a punch of premium tequila, orange liquor, and tantalizingly tangy fresh lime juice is something you simply don’t ever forget.

But what about this Beechwood Smoked Salt? What makes it so delicious? Our Beechwood Smoked Salt is harvested in the Guerande region of France, a city on the western coast of the country – known for its salt marches. In these marches, salterns have been built, where workers collect up to 15,000 tons of cooking salt each year and approx. 300 tons of fleur de sel or “flower of salt” per year. The process is quite simple, tides feed the water reservoirs with sea water, where it gets trapped and begins to evaporate. That process of evaporation continues until there are only a few centimeters of sea water left. Ultimately, the salt crystalizes and produces fleur de sel and coarse salt.

This coarse Guerande salt is finished with a 10 day beechwood smoking process. Beechwood makes an excellent smoking wood, though it’s more typically known as a firewood than a food smoke wood. Beech is a hardwood, which means that it doesn’t produce large levels of thick smoke that come from softer woods like pine or fir. Those soft woods can also produce the potential for acrid tasting buildup on foods, and potentially harmful compounds. Beech wood provides a light smoke that is mild, sweet, and nutty. The elongated smoking process ensures that the flavor not only adheres to the outside of each salt crystal, but also penetrates deep inside for an intense, smoky finish.

The drink itself couldn’t be easier to make, and it’s a truly perfect pairing alongside a hot summer day. Simply rim the edge of a glass with a slice of fresh lime. Roll the wet edge in crushed Beechwood Smoked Salt. This stuff is strong, so we prefer to not go around the whole edge, just a portion, in case you want a salt free sip. But you probably won’t… Then it’s just a matter of combining your liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shaking it up! In goes the lime juice, tequila, and orange liquor of choice. Shake it vigorously – we’re serious here, no sissy shakes. Then strain into a coupe or rocks glass. Finish with a slice of lime and sip the day away!

But what’s the point of all these salt shenanigans? Well, while the salt is really important, it’s more about the quality of ingredients you choose to use. You’re not going to have a great margarita (or lemonade, or taco, or pasta, or whatever) without great ingredients. Start with beautiful unique and flavor packed ingredients, and that’s what you’ll end up with in your final result. Then it’s time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Happy sipping. Cheers!