Every February 22, we come together for National Margarita Day to pay homage to our favorite celebratory cocktail. The margarita 鈥� triple sec, tequila, and lime juice 鈥� was created in 1938 in Mexico and is widely considered the official drink of having fun. It鈥檚 always 5 o鈥檆lock somewhere, and that鈥檚 never truer than on National Margarita Day. So get out a shaker, pull out your frozen margarita machine, or head to your local watering hole and order a margarita. Up, on ice, or on the rocks, you can鈥檛 go wrong. Salud!
National Margarita Day takes place on February 22 and it gives us every good reason to indulge in this highly quaffable alcoholic beverage. When life hands you limes, make margaritas!
History of National Margarita Day
The earliest occurrence of the famed cocktail was in 1938 by the father of the drink Carlos 鈥淒anny鈥� Herrera. He made it in his restaurant located in Baja California, for a famous customer named Marjorie King, a dancer on the hit American theatrical broadway 鈥淶iegfeld follies鈥� because she was allergic to spirits but not tequila 鈥� and just like that our beloved drink was born.
The problem is, Herrera isn鈥檛 the only person to claim to be the OG margarita maker. One of them was Francisco 鈥淧ancho鈥� Morales who was a bartender in Mexico, who first mixed the cocktail in 1942 in Ju谩rez, Mexico and then left to become a US citizen and work as a milkman for 25 years. He has the backing of the official Mexican newspaper 鈥� Notimex.
The wildest story is this last one. Margarita Sames, a Dallas 鈥渉igher class鈥� citizen, believed she created the drink in her vacation home for her guests in Acapulco, Mexico in 1948. Tommy Hilton (yes鈥� that Hilton) who was friends with Margarita attended the party, and then brought it back to his hotel chains and put it on the menu. But before he could even breath, Jose Cuervo, of the famous tequila brand, claimed he was already running ad campaigns for the drink in 1945, with the catchphrase, 鈥淢argarita: It鈥檚 more than a girl鈥檚 name.鈥� Regardless of where the drink was first made, one thing is for certain 鈥� everyone was having fun.
Thankfully, margaritas come in a ton of different varieties, it鈥檚 not a surprise why 76% of Americans enjoy a nice margarita. From strawberry and peach to mango and berry, to slightly stronger drinks with beer, to even having healthier versions like skinny margaritas and sportier cocktails (just swap out the triple sec for a Gatorade). It doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e at a bar, at home on the sofa or just finished an important meeting; grab the nearest fruit, tequila, triple sec and mix that baby up to the rhythm of 鈥渙ne tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor鈥�. But do drink responsibly, too much tequila has been known T鈥檏ill鈥檡a!
