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Would You Drink this Mealworm Margarita? (Here’s the Recipe)

While many of you may have sworn off margaritas after an epic Cinco de Mayo, we could drink tequila every damn day — even when our cocktail has bugs in it.

If tequila makes you gag, get ready to really test your stomach. (Also, stop drinking cheap tequila!) This margarita from Eat Grub, a United Kingdom-based company making ready-to-nosh food out of insects, replaces your standard salt rim with ground mealworms.

After all, the some  mezcals boast gusanos at the bottom and scorpion vodka is, well, a thing.

To appreciate a mealworm margarita , you’ve got to move away from thinking of insects only in terms of gross reality TV shows and seven-year-old dares. Adding bugs to your everyday meals is a healthy, sustainable source of protein and other nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, and fiber. On top of that, their arming footprint is light-years better for the environment than traditional animal farming.

So, do you dare drink this mealworm margarita? (Remember it only counts if there are pictures. Tag @TheManualGuide so we know it’s real.)

Mealworm Margarita

eat grub mealworm margarita
Eat Grub
  • 1.25 fl oz tequila
  • 1 tbsp triple sec
  • 4 tsp lime juice, plus a lime wedge
  • Splash of sugar syrup
  • Mealworms
  • Salt

Method: First, make the salt. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the mealworms down and then add the sea salt. Continue to grind until it is a powder. The ratio should be 3 parts mealworms to 1 part salt. Spread the mealworm salt out on a plate. Rub the outside of your glass with the lime wedge to help the salt stick, then tap the rim in the salt until there is a good coating on the outside. To make the sugar syrup, bring equal quantities of sugar and water to the boil in a heavy-based pan until the sugar has dissolved. Then take off the heat and allow to cool. Shake ingredients over crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Serve in the salt-rimmed glass on the rocks or straight up.

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