The National Margarita Index Is Here To Forecast Your Summer

The calendar says summer starts on 1 December. Anyone who’s felt that salty-rimmed Friday feeling creep in this month knows the calendar is wrong. The silly season starts when the weather says so, and now an index proves it.

Boss Hunting and Cointreau have launched the National Margarita Index, a live forecast that takes weather data from all eight capital cities and distils it into one verdict.

Each city is measured against the conditions that make or break an afternoon margarita. Temperature, feels-like, rain, wind, UV and sunset time all feed into an index score, refreshed in real time every 30 minutes. Clear skies and 25 degrees in Adelaide? Primo. Storms and hail over Sydney? Inadvisable outdoors. Indoors is another jurisdiction.

It’s not simply a heat check, either. Darwin might be sitting at 32 degrees, but light drizzle and unbearable humidity keep it in the red. Hobart has clear skies and nothing else going for it at 16. The sweet spot is warm, dry and still, with enough daylight left to make the most of it.

A forecast is only useful if you can act on it, so every city comes with its own Margarita Radar. Hit “Nearest To Me” and the map plots venues pouring a proper Cointreau Margarita, from harbourside rooftops to beachfront pubs, each with a short file on why it’s worth your time.

The index runs all summer. Check in throughout the week to see how conditions are shaping up across the country, lock in your venue, and share your city’s verdict to the group chat or your stories when the stars align.

Cointreau is backing it up with Aubrey Plaza, who fronts the brand’s Make Your Margarita, MargaRight campaign on the index. The message is simple: Cointreau, tequila and fresh lime in equal measure, nothing more. Short on Cointreau? The index links straight through to Dan Murphy’s, so there’s no excuse come Friday.

And when the forecast calls for staying in, the specification is below. Accept no substitutes.

The Cointreau Margarita

• 30ml Cointreau
• 30ml blanco tequila (100% agave, but literally any tequila)
• 30ml fresh lime juice
• Sea salt, for a half rim

• Lime wheel, to garnish

Method: Salt half the rim of a rocks glass. Shake Cointreau, tequila and lime hard over ice for ten seconds. Strain over fresh ice and garnish with a lime wheel.

Please drink responsibly.