The Margarita is a classic Mexican cocktail of tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and salt.
National Margarita Day
National Margarita Day is February 22. It’s not an official day. You can have a margarita any time.
A Classic Margarita Recipe
- 1-1/2 parts Tequila
- 1 part Cointreau, triple sec or another orange liqueur
- 3/4 parts Fresh squeezed Lime juice
- (Optional) Dampen the glass and dip the edge in salt. A nice option is to salt half the glass.
- Garnish with a lime slice
The Origins of the Margarita
The true origins of the margarita are lost in the haze of time. It is definitely a Mexican-American border drink from at least the 1930s.
“Margarita” means daisy in Spanish. The Brandy Daisy was a popular citrus cocktail in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Prohibition in the United States from 1920 to 1933 drove people over the border looking for alcohol.
Switching from brandy with lemon in the United States to tequila with lime in Mexico seems obvious. Tequila is the spirit of Mexico and Mexican food makes extensive use of lime.
The official Mexican story of the creation of the margarita is that Francisco “Pancho” Morales first mixed it up in 1942 at Tommy’s Place Bar in Juárez, Chihuahua (of the Ciudad Juárez, Mexico / El Paso, Texas metropolitan area).
There are other stories. Most say that the drink was made for someone named Margarita or Rita. One claims the drink was created by Carlos “Danny” Herrera at the Rancho La Gloria restaurant south of Tijuana for Marjorie King, a Ziegfeld dancer who liked tequila. Another claims that Margarita Sames, a socialite from Dallas, Texas created the drink at her vacation home in Acapulco. One story says the drink was made for Rita de la Rosa, a Mexican showgirl.
However it was created, today margaritas are one of the standard drinks served at Mexican restaurants in the United States.
Drink Responsibly
Please drink responsibly. Waking up not knowing what happened, or becoming alcoholic are not fun. Margarita’s are delicious, but we now know that no amount of alcohol is healthy. Digestion converts alcohol into some very toxic poisons.