How Martha Stewart Guarantees A Great Cocktail Every Time

Martha Stewart doesn't cut corners, which has certainly helped her form a multimillion-dollar empire. She's known for her homemade, hands-on approach to cooking, baking, entertaining, and even cocktail-ing. She knows how to jazz up spooky Halloween cocktails with black sugar rims, and if she's in charge of creating the drinks, you'll find only fresh juices — no premade mixes. When chef and television host, Geoffrey Zakarian, asked Stewart about making good cocktails, she offered, "The juice must be fresh. No mixers, and no Skinny Girl," (via Food52).

Stewart's margaritas don't contain margarita mix, but feature fresh lime juice and orange liqueur; her whiskey sours are made with lemon and orange juice instead of sweet and sour mix; and her Bloody Marys aren't made with premade mix, but rather, actual tomato juice, plus Worcestershire, lemon juice, and several other savory ingredients.

Now, not all of Stewart's cocktails require 100% freshly squeezed juice. For example, her maple bourbon cider recipe calls for apple cider, and who wants to make their own cider? Not even Martha, apparently. Her pomegranate margaritas, which she cheekily calls "Martha-ritas" contain bottled pomegranate juice concentrate — because can you imagine juicing pomegranate arils? And her classic cosmopolitans are dosed with cranberry juice. We can also presume this juice comes from a bottle because it doesn't appear that even Stewart has her own recipe for the DIY version.

Stewart's fresh juice-only advice seems to mostly encompass drinks made with citrus juice, which really has no equal, especially when compared to bottled juice. With this in mind, your greyhounds and palomas will be superior when made with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice; as will your mimosas, screwdrivers, and tequila sunrises when you opt for fresh orange juice. Learn how to get more juice from your lemons because fresh lemon and lime juice will amplify Midori sours, elevating them far beyond the typical sweet and sour mix.

One of Stewart's favorite cocktails, the Meyer lemon drop, is made with fresh Meyer lemon juice, which is often described as tasting sweeter and more floral than tart standard lemons. For a non-alcoholic option, Martha's drink of choice is a simple iced tea with plenty of lemon. You also might discover that you can juice more than just citrus for your cocktails. Fresh pineapple juice makes incredible pineapple daiquiris, juiced summer peaches lead to unbelievable Bellini's, and fresh pear juice lets you create a number of fall-inspired drinks, like shrubs, martinis, and festive pear and ginger mules.