Today is the observance of National Margarita day, 2018. The margarita is the most enjoyed tequila cocktail in the whole country. And arguably the country that MOST drinks this cocktail in general.

Yes, you read that right. United States drinks more margaritas than even Mexico, where the drink is said to have originated. Mexicans, in fact, don’t even drink many margaritas at all. They tend to prefer the Paloma, which we will cover in another article.

Either way National Margarita day, recognizing the super-simple yet beautiful tequila cocktail is note-worthy.

WHAT IS A MARGARITA ANYWAY?

The margarita is a tequila sour comprised of triple sec, lime juice (fresh), and you guessed it, TEQUILA. I also like to add a touch of agave nectar, for a fresh balanced finish.

Here is my favorite recipe:

2 ounces Milagro Blanco Tequila

0.75 ounce Grand Marnier

0.75 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice

0.25 ounce agave nectar

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. 15 seconds, it is important not to shake too much, because we will be serving over ice (by shaking briefly, we avoid any extra dilution). Then, serve in a rocks glass half-rimmed with salt and filled with ice cubes. I like doing the half rim because it allows for choice of drinking with salt or not. Also, it looks nicer! Then enjoy.

HISTORY

The history of the margarita is pretty skewed (as is the case with many a drink in the cocktail history books). So it is hard to track down. There are a few stories though, and with that, one can believe more of one than another, I suppose.

One story suggests a bartender named Albert Hernandez created the drink in San Diego in 1947 at the La Plaza restaurant (important side note: today is also official national “California day” so this story has either a coincidence or truth backing their relativity).

Another creation story for the margarita is that Danny Herrera created it for a patron at the La Gloria restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.

However, the most relevant (and the one I believe the most) was that the margarita is just another casual American drink. It was said to be twisted off of a classic Daisy cocktail. The Daisy, instead of being made with its traditional brandy, was made with tequila, since tequila starting coming into the country at about that time. The first recorded account of this was from an Iowa newspaper editor called James Graham in 1936. This story was made before any other creation myths were told about where the margarita originated from.

 

Overall, the margarita is a drink of legend. It has lived through the decades, and makes its way to just about every bar. It is now a STAPLE in any bar’s repertoire. If a bartender does not know how to make a margarita, well, they have not made it past square one yet.

One for the record books, and is not going out of style anytime soon!