Sipping a margarita can evoke the ensuing days of sunshine and outdoor antics. That’s especially likely when you make this recipe – a favorite of author Jack Kerouac on one of his many Mexican sojourns – courtesy of “How to Drink Like a Writer: Recipes for the Cocktails and Libations that Inspired 100 Literary Greats” (Apollo Publishers), writing by Margaret Kaplan.

2 ounces silver tequila

3/4 ounce Cointreau

3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional)

Rock salt for garnishing

Lime wedge for garnishing

Pour salt onto small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the lip of a rocks glass and dip the rim in the salt. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and agave, if using. Shake vigorously. Strain into the salt-rimmed rocks glass over ice. Garnish with the lime wedge.