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This cocktail stands next to the most popular cocktails in the world. Margarita is undoubtedly a bar classic. Few cocktails can boast so many legends about their origins, Margarita can be compared with whiskey, the authorship of which the Irish and Scots have been fighting for centuries. There are a lot of admirers of Mexican culture, especially in the USA, a country that was built by emigrants. That is why tequila cocktails have become an integral part of the global bartending society, and Margarita occupies an honorable first place in it. Well, today I present to you another cocktail from the bar classics.
The history of the Margarita cocktail
As I said, this cocktail is surrounded by legends and controversy. But, as in the case of whiskey, none of these legends has found its 100% confirmation. In general, the birth of Margarita can be attributed to the 30-50s of the last century, and the place of birth is the border regions between the United States and Mexico. In one publication I read that back in 1937 a cocktail was published called “Picador”. The original source is The Royal Book of Cocktails. It was the British who first flashed the recipe for a cocktail that contained tequila, Cointreau and lime juice. But the British lost their chance and did not get the championship 🙂
The rest of the legends are attributed to the Mexicans. According to one of them, the Margarita cocktail was invented in the 40s behind the bar at Rancho La Gloria (near Tijuana). It was in this bar that the entire American beau monde visited, including the little-known actress Marjorie King. It just so happened that this actress was allergic to all alcoholic beverages, with the exception of tequila. But pure tequila was not to her liking, and then the talented bartender Carlos ‘Danny’ Herrera decided to help the actress (he had plans to see her), and mixed tequila with orange liqueur and lime juice. This is how the Margarita cocktail appeared, named after the actress Margiorita (the Mexican version of the name).
There is a completely funny legend that is associated with a bad memory. In 1942, a Mexican bartender, Pancho Morales, was approached by a lady with an order for a Magnolia cocktail (brandy, orange liqueur, champagne, and egg yolk). But Morales for some reason remembered only orange liqueur, but did not lose his head – he added tequila and lime juice. The young lady was delighted, and Morales decided to name the newly made tequila cocktail after another flower.
But in 1999, the “Original Guide to Margarita and Tequila” was published, where the authorship is attributed to socialite Margarita Samees. It was she who threw a Christmas party at her mansion, which was located in Acapulco. It was there that the Margarita cocktail was born, which the hostess prepared for fun (this happened in 1948). At the party was the owner of the hotel chain Tommy Hilton, who liked the cocktail and he let it go to his establishments.
Here are a few more legends:
- in 1936, Danny Negrete created a Margarita for his girlfriend, guess what her name was…;
- a Virginia bartender, Red Hinton, named his new creation after a friend, Margarita Mendez, who died in one of the bar shootings;
- in the 50s, the bartender and the owner of the Rooster’s Tail restaurant thought about how to popularize the Jose Cuervo tequila – and a cocktail was born, named after the bartender’s wife;
In general, there is no unequivocal opinion, since the wonderful margarita cocktail recipe was on display to the public decades after its creation, so it is simply impossible to check the sources. These are just rumors, interviews and obituaries. But let’s leave history to historians, and you can see the recipe for a cocktail according to the IBA.
Cocktail recipe Margarita (aperitif, shake)
- Xnumx tequila ml;
- 20 ml Cointreau (orange liqueur);
- 15 ml lime juice.
Preparation:
- on the edges of the glass (Margarita Glass) make a crunch of salt (draw a slice of lime along the edge of the glass, and then dip in salt);
- pour all the ingredients into the shaker;
- fill the shaker with ice and shake the contents;
- pour the finished cocktail through a strainer into a glass and you can decorate with a lime wedge.
An unusual combination gives a rather pleasant taste, and salt adds some piquancy. This cocktail is mainly preferred by ladies, so it is worth considering their tastes. Some don’t like salt, so many bartenders leave one of the edges without the crunch. And if the weaker sex wanted sweets, then you can add a little sugar syrup to Margarita. In general, the cocktail is quite strong, so I would advise you to beat it not with crushed ice, but with crush (crushed ice) and pour the finished cocktail into a glass without a strainer. Then the ice will gradually melt and dilute the strength of the cocktail – so it will be more pleasant to drink it.
Interesting facts about the Margarita cocktail
- Americans drink 185 margaritas in an hour;
- in 1971, a frozen Margarita was introduced for the first time, which is prepared according to the classic recipe, but in a blender with crushed ice;
- The proportions I have indicated are the MBA version, but in fact there are several of them: the amount of triple sec and lime juice mainly changes;
- the famous beatnik Jack Kerouac was very fond of the cocktail.