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Behind the Bar: The Classic Margarita

November 4, 2012

Back in the dreary days of old, life was dull, and tequila was just another alcohol...until the 1940s. There are several stories relating to the origins of the Margarita:

  • Mexican bartender Don Carlos Orozco was experimenting with new concoctions when Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador, walked into his bar. She tried it first, so he named the drink after her.
  • In another version, Mexican bartender Carlos Herrera created a similar drink for Ziegfeld dancer Marjorie King.
  • In yet ANOTHER version, in Galveston, Texas, the head bartender Santos Cruz of the Balinese Room created the Margarita for Peggy (Margaret) Lee.
  • And a final version claims that the Margarita is merely a Daisy, remade with tequila instead of brandy. (Margarita is Spanish for Daisy).

Which is the truth? Who really cares? Here is a perfect recipe.

The Classic Margarita

Ingredients

  • 2 oz tequila
  • 1 oz Cointeau
  • 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  • salt for garnish

Directions

  1. Combine tequila, Cointrea, and lime juice in shaker filled with ice.
  2. Rim Margarita glass with lime juice and salt.
  3. Shake and strain drink into glass and serve.