margarita

margarita, cocktail traditionally prepared with tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Margaritas are usually served with coarse salt on the rim of the drink glass and are occasionally sweetened with agave syrup or simple syrup (sugar dissolved in water). The margarita is made and consumed in countries worldwide; it is especially popular in the United States, where it is often the top-ranking cocktail in consumer preference.

Origins

Likely dating to the 1930s or ’40s, the margarita’s origin is uncertain; many claims about the drink’s invention or evolution are disputed. Among early accounts is that the margarita was created in 1936 by David Daniel (“Danny”) Negrete in Tehuacán, Mexico, where Negrete was managing Hotel Garci Crespo; he supposedly made the cocktail for his girlfriend, Margarita, who loved salty drinks. Carlos (“Danny”) Herrera, owner of Rancho La Gloria near Tijuana, claimed to have made the drink in the late 1940s for showgirl and actress Marjorie King, who was supposedly allergic to alcohol—with the exception of tequila; Herrera said that he named the drink after her, adapting “Marjorie” to “margarita.” Another popular account is that of Don Carlos Orozco, who claimed to have invented the drink in 1941 at Hussong’s Cantina in Ensenada and offered it to a German ambassador’s daughter, whose name was Margarita. The margarita’s invention is also attributed to Francisco (“Pancho”) Morales, who in 1942, at a bar known as Tommy’s Place in Ciudad Juárez, is said to have made the drink by mistake when asked to make a magnolia.

Other stories attribute the invention of the margarita to Texas socialite Margaret Sames, who reportedly created it at a party in Acapulco in 1948; to Johnny Durlesser, who worked at the Tail o’ the Cock restaurant in Los Angeles and reportedly made the drink sometime in 1936–37; and to Doña Bertha, owner and bartender of Bertita’s Bar in Taxco, who is said to have come up with it in 1930. Celebrities including American actress Rita Hayworth, originally named Margarita Carmen Cansino, and American singer-songwriter Peggy Lee (“Peggy” being a common nickname for “Margaret”) are also cited as the inspiration behind the cocktail’s name.

The margarita may have evolved from other cocktails, most notably the daisy, which was popular in the early 20th century and has a variety of recipes, the most classic of which is made with ingredients characteristic of a “sour” cocktail. Alcohols used included gin, whiskey, brandy, and, eventually, tequila. Another possible source of the margarita is the picador—a British cocktail made of tequila, Cointreau (an orange-flavored liqueur), and citrus; the recipe for the picador was published in 1937 in the Café Royal Cocktail Book by William J. Tarling.

Popularization

Regardless of how the margarita came into fashion, it was likely popularized in southern California before spreading to the rest of the United States. Seeing the success of the margarita, Young’s Market Company incorporated the cocktail in advertisements for José Cuervo in 1945, using the tagline “Margarita: it’s more than a girl’s name”; the margarita subsequently became an important driver in the growth of the tequila industry in the United States. In December 1953 Esquire magazine named the margarita its “Drink of the Month” and included a recipe that called for tequila, Triple Sec (a sweet, orange-flavored liqueur), and lime or lemon juice served in a glass with salt on the rim.

The margarita surged in popular culture following the release of the song “Margaritaville” in 1977 by American musician Jimmy Buffett; the track inspired a string of businesses, including restaurants, hotels, and luxury resorts, centered on a Margaritaville theme. In 2008 fans of the margarita began celebrating National Margarita Day, which is observed annually on February 22.

Variations

Many variations of the margarita have been developed, perhaps most famously the frozen margarita, which incorporates blended ice. The original frozen margarita machine, developed by restaurant owner Mariano Martinez in Dallas in 1971, was acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2005. Other variations of the margarita include ones that incorporate fruit flavors, such as blood orange, mango, or pomegranate, in which the desired fruit juice is used in place of lime juice. In a beer margarita, the drink is prepared in a pint glass and is topped off with a Mexican-style beer. Hot pepper or a small amount of chile liqueur may be infused into the cocktail to produce a spicy margarita. A nonalcoholic variation, known as a virgin margarita, uses club soda and lemons or limes in place of tequila and orange liqueur.

Are you a student?

Get a special academic rate on Britannica Premium.

Subscribe