While it’s cold outside and the gray month of January drags by, our thoughts can stay sunny. Be transported to a sandy beach and tropical weather by sipping a refreshing margarita at home. I did an at-home test; searching for the best margarita you can make at home using ready-made mixes.

To make a good margarita distinguished by a solid lime taste and tequila bite, you must start with good tequila. The base liquor can make or break the drink, but it is often depends on the drinker’s own personal tastes, according to Cesar Minquiz, a waiter at Don Sol’s Mexican Grill in Mattoon.

“You need to feel the tequila, not too strong and not too weak,” Minquiz said. “Cheap tequila gives you a headache.”

Tequila is made from the fermented hearts of the agave plant, which is native to Mexico.

Elias Bucio is the manager at Los Portillos in Charleston, said, “One-hundred percent agave tequila is important” when making margaritas.

This Mexican restaurant goes through about 20 gallons of the classic lime margarita served on the rocks a week, not including the flavored margaritas or those served frozen.

Minquiz agrees, tequila made with “100 percent agave is the most important part so you will taste more of the real flavor of the tequila.”

Bucio recommends Patron, Don Julio, El Eduardo, and Cazadores tequila, for margarita making, but said “Patron and Don Julio are not too strong, they’re soft.”

With a bottle of Don Agustin Reserva 100% Agave on hand, I set off to conduct my own margarita experiment.

I selected five different mixes found at local stores in Charleston, CVS Pharmacy, County Market and Gateway Liquors. A tasting panel consisting my roommate Ann Voss, senior communication disorders and sciences major, friend Katie Gridley, senior marketing major, and myself tasted each one.

Each margarita was prepared to be served on the rocks, using the Don Agustin tequila. I followed the directions on the back of each bottle.

Judging criteria included overall ingredient proportion to tequila, color, overall lime taste, quality of sugar content, and overall taste. We ranked our five Categories on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the poorest and 5 being the best. We tallied up the scores and this is what we discovered.

Colleen Kitka can be reached at 581-7942 or ckitka.verge@gmail.com