Cocktail Hour: Cherry Chocolate Margarita

 Here is a fun little cocktail to share with your special someone or with yourself on valentines day.  It is a whopper so it is sure to ease your inhibitions or ease your pain! Although I am not a big fan of a fancy dinner out on Valentine's Day - you inevitably feel like a sucker with an overly expensive pre-fixe and harried and rushed service.  But, even though I consider myself a thoroughly modern and independent woman, I must admit I am a sucker for flowers and chocolates - these are things, no matter how cliche and hokey, I like to get on Valentines Day (hint, hint, partner in crime out there reading this).  Anyhoo, this cherry margarita with a chocolate rim is the perfect cocktail for V-day whether you are alone, with friends, or with a date.  Enjoy!

Cherry Chocolate Margarita (adapted from Food and Wine)
Ingredients
1 teaspoon each of cocoa powder and sugar, pinch of salt
3 ounces lime juice
5-6 cherries and some cherry juice if using bottled (I used Trader Joes Morello cherries)
3 ounces tequila
2 ounces Cointreau
1 ounce agave syrup
Directions:

1. Combine the cocoa, sugar and salt in a small dish.  
2. Rub the rim of  a glass with lime, rub in the cocoa mixture to coat the rim.
3. Combine the lime juice and cherries and cherry juice in a cocktail shaker and muddle the cherries a bit.
4. Add the other ingredients to a cocktail shaker along with some ice.  Shake vigorously and pour into rimmed glass.