The Margarita

The margarita cocktail is popular the world over. Here the classic is reborn as a hybrid of the two main versions for the margarita on the rocks using both orange liquor and a little agave syrup.

The margarita’s origins (like several other cocktails, the martini, for instance) seem to have several different versions of who invented the cocktail. Of course, the margarita is one of the most popular cocktails all over the world. And it is enjoyed everywhere. One story claims that the drink was created in 1938 by a Mexican restaurant owner Carlos (Danny) Herrera. The story goes; the owner mixed one for a gorgeous Ziegfeld showgirl named Marjorie King. Supposedly, Tequila was the only alcohol that King would abide, so Herrera added lime juice and salt. Another legend involves Texas socialite Margaret Sames (a k a Margarita) mixed the first drink at a house party in Mexico during 1948. Or maybe it was named for actress Rita Hayworth (whose real name was Margarita Casino) during a gig in Tijuana in the 1940s.

The actual origins may be obscured with history by people all trying to be “the inventor.” There is a drink from Mexico dating from around the same time called the daisy involving any alcohol, lime juice, and orange liquor and a splash of soda. Margarita in Spanish means daisy. The “tequila daisy” really took off in popularity in 1971 when a Dallas restaurateur named Mariano Martinez created the first frozen margarita machine. His original machine resides in the Smithsonian museum. From then on, the frozen margarita became a massive hit as it is still today. I prefer my margarita on the rock as I get a horrible brain freeze from sipping on a blended margarita. However, all the fruit flavors that can be blended in, like strawberry, mango, watermelon, and even blue raspberry can be fun.

The original version of the margarita on the rocks still hung around and now has made a huge comeback by cocktail enthusiasts and good bartenders who preferer the on the rocks version. There are two camps on what is considered the best margarita on the rocks. One camp uses the Tequila, orange liquor, and lime from the original recipe. But a second camp swears by a version started by Tommy’s Mexican restaurant in San Francisco replacing the orange liquor with agave syrup. Many consider the second version as the quintessential version. I have played around with both on the rocks versions, and I finally came up with my hybrid version. I’m not gonna lie, this a knock you on your tuchas kind of margarita. But I find my version is just about right for my taste. It is slightly sweeter than the classic, and yet not as sweet as the blended fruit versions popular on any tropical beach or Mexican restaurant all over the world.

To salt or not to salt. Salting the rim is really about your taste preference. It is expectable to do either, and It seems that it is about 50/50 on what people like with their margarita. I am on the salt rim side. I love the added nuance salt brings to this cocktail. I have been known, as I did in these pictures, to sprinkle some pink sea salt over the top of the margarita instead of on the rim. I sprinkle the salt right before serving.  For this one, I use a double old fashioned glass (link in to amazon here)

Let me know in the comments your thoughts on which camp your margarita falls into or if this version is better. I would love to hear from you!

4 from 1 vote

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The Margarita Dave's version

The classic reborn as a hybrid of the two main versions for the margarita on the rocks using both orange liquor and a little agave syrup.

Course: cocktails

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: lime cocktails, margarita, mexican cocktails, tequila

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• ½ oz agave syrup

Salt or pink sea salt for rim if desired, I love to use a pink sea salt

Lime slice for garnish

Instructions

1. Rim a double old-fashioned glass with salt, see note.
2. Place the Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and the agave syrup in a cocktail shaker.
3. Fill the shaker with ice.
4. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 – 15 seconds.
5. Fill the double old-fashioned glass (or any 10 oz glass) with ice.
6. Pour the margarita over the ice.
7. Garnish with a lime slice if desired. Sprinkle some pink sea salt over the top of the cocktail if not rimming the glass.

Recipe Notes

If you want to rim the glass with salt, run a cut lime across the rim of double old fashioned (10 oz glass) and then sprinkle or rub salt from a dish onto the lime coated rim. I sometimes like only to coat half the rim. Or sometimes, I will sprinkle some over the finished margarita instead of rimming the glass.