Minted Pineapple Margarita

So soon for another margarita?  I've got a million recipes and 20 of them are REALLY good so I thought that I'd share a couple earlier than later.  Fair enough?

Anyways, here's the rules thus far:  throw out the mixes, use only real fruit and use good tequila.  Now the next rule, if you're going to use a straw make sure it's thick so that the fruit doesn't get clogged  and no one bursts a blood vessel.

Here's the secret behind the recipe:

Vanilla syrup!  Yes, vanilla syrup.  To make it you start with equal parts sugar and water.  Throw it into a sauce pan with 1 vanilla bean. (Darn, you gotta go to Trader Joe's!)  Heat over a low to medium flame for 5 minutes.  Do not let the mixture boil.  Remove from heat and let cool. Throw it in the freezer if you're impatient like me.

Now for the margarita:

Ingredients

1/2 cup of fresh pineapple cubes

1/2 of an orange

nice bunch of mint

1 1/2 oz of the vanilla syrup

2oz of tequila.  Honestly a white tequila works best here, but anything goes!

Preparation

Cut orange into 4 and place into mixing cup.

Add pineapple, mint and vanilla syrup.

Muddle the ingredients (mashing them with a muddler!  if you don't have one, use the bottom of a screwdriver)

Add the tequila and 6oz of ice

Shake for 34 seconds and pour into a drink glass.

Do not strain the concoction.  all that pineapple pulp and orange rind looks cool!

Garnish with a lime wedge for more color and a straw.

Try that and tell me I'm not a genius!