Uncovering the Real History of the Margarita.
A margarita is a perfect summertime cocktail and a fun drink to have with a gathering of friends. While the exact origins are unknown, there are multiple legends and tales claiming to have invented this beloved drink. But, there’s also chronological documentation of the margarita history.
All About the Margarita History
What’s in a Margarita?
To start, a margarita is a mix of tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau or triple sec served in a glass with a salted rim. It’s an addictively delicious blend of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.
Claims to Fame
Margarita has a multitude of claims to fame. Many say they mixed the drink for their beloved Margarita which was a popular name in the 50s.
One such claim comes from Danny Negrete in 1936 in Puebla, Mexico. He says that he crafted the drink as a wedding gift for his brother and sister-in-law, whose name was Margarita.
Another, more popular legend tells the story of how a Carlos “Danny” Herrera made the drink in his Tijuana restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, in 1938. Danny made a drink for an actress, Marjorie King, who was allergic to all spirits except for tequila. So he combined the elements of a traditional tequila shot which has a lick of salt and a wedge of lime.
Studying the Influences and Chronological Documentation
“Margarita” is the Spanish word for “daisy.”
This alone is evidence that the margarita cocktail was heavily influenced by the Daisy cocktail. A daisy is a drink that was popular in Victorian times in the late 1800s. It was made with citrus juice that was sweetened with syrup or liqueur and mixed with a fortified spirit, usually brandy.
In the early 20th century and the Prohibition Era, the daisy was popular among US residents who traveled to Mexico for alcohol.
A Tequila Daisy was first mentioned in 1936 in an Albuquerque newspaper in which the editor wrote about his trip to Mexico. Later that same year, the Tequila Daisy was also mentioned in a newspaper publication in Syracuse, New York.
The daisy cocktail has the basic formula for a margarita. In 1937, a cocktail book shared the recipe for a Picador which is essentially the margarita recipe except with different ratios for the ingredients.
A Picador is 1/4 lime or lemon juice, 1/4 Cointreau, and 1/2 tequila. Shake it with ice and serve in a coupe glass.
In 1953, Esquire magazine published the first written recipe for a margarita calling for one-ounce tequila, a dash of triple sec, and the juice of half a lime or lemon.
Today, by the International Bartenders Association guidelines, a margarita is 10 parts tequila, 4 parts triple sec, and 3 parts lime juice.
Fun fact: The first frozen margarita machine was invented in 1971 by Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez. You can find it on display in the Smithsonian.
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