REAL Margaritas

1. To start the homemade sweet and sour mix you need to make a simple syrup. Pour water and granulated sugar into a small saucepan and stir well.
2. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-heat, stirring occasionally. Sugar should be completely dissolved by the time the mixture boils.
3. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Set a small strainer over a 2 quart pitcher. Slice all of the citrus fruit in half and squeeze the juices by hand over the strainer and into the pitcher. If you have one, a citrus reamer works well. Otherwise, stick a fork into the middle of each cut half of fruit and squeeze around it. (The strainer is there to catch any seeds that come out of the fruit during the juicing process.) You should end up with about 1 ½ to 2 cups of freshly squeezed citrus juice.
5. Pour the cooled simple syrup into the pitcher with the citrus juices.
6. For the cocktails: Add the triple sec, tequila and ice cubes to the pitcher and stir well to combine. Chill the cocktails while readying the serving glasses.
7. To serve: place the kosher salt onto a small plate.
8. Zest ½ of a lime over the salt; slice the lime into 8 wedges.
9. Stir and mash the zest into the salt with a spoon to release the oils.
10. Gently run the cut side of a lime wedge around the rim of a serving glass, and then immediately dip/spin the rim of the glass into the salt mixture to coat. Repeat with the remaining glasses.
11. Pour the margaritas from the pitcher into the glasses; dividing the cocktail evenly between 8 glasses.
12. Garnish the rim of the glasses with a lime wedge.
13. Add more ice to the cocktail, if desired.
14. Makes about 8 drinks.