Margaritasare what you stream for life ’s happiest moments , as manifest by 3.4 million # margarita tags on Instagram , that strain , and the fact that Matthew McConaughey , perhaps the only man who spend a penny Will Smith look cross , has his own recipe ( it’salright , alright , alright ) . This unsubdivided concoction oftequila , lime , agave and orange liqueur has stolen our hearts . Whether you like yours frozen , on the rocks , salt , or no salinity , mellifluous or spicy , the margarita is a big , inclusive collapsible shelter – with a giant umbrella sticking out of it . So we write this love letter to its sheer perfection .
It’s democratic
The margarita looks and feel oh - so - right hand whether you ’re in a tuxedo or a bathing suit of clothes , sip from a kickshaw glass or slurp from a giant charge card cup . Wherever your margarita typically fall on the drink ’s cultural and economical spectrum , consider the following : Manhattan ’s London hotel mixed the most expensive margarita , at $ 1200 a glass , this year . The outrageously expensive secret ingredient was a limited - version Patron , of which only 500 bottles were made . And back in sippy cup territory , the margarita was the natural choice for the world ’s with child cocktail – 10,499 gallons to be precise – concocted in a 25 - base tall blender at the 2012 California state just and sell at $ 10 a pa .
It was born of perseverance
Like any good cocktail , the margarita has several people who lie title to pour the very first one . But one of the most take on of several cosmos myth encompasses hope and perseverance in the face of a serious adversity : an alcohol allergy . The report is that Carlos “ Denny ” Herrara meld up the first margarita for a Ziegfeld fille in his Tijuana eatery in 1938 , after she claimed to be allergic to all intemperate liquor but tequila . calculate a straight - up tequila shot was n’t exactly first - class service , he went the extra mile and invented the way more sippable variation ( and hopefully stupefy at least 20 % backsheesh ) .
And now it’s literally America’s favorite
With stars aligned and blenders roil , the margarita quickly ascended to America ’s cocktail of alternative . consort to Nielsen , it ’s the go - to drink for 60 % of Americans , and Brown - Forman , one of the big tone corporations in the world , claims that Americans collectively drink 185,000 margs every hour . We consume 80 pct of all export tequila , and that ’s done mostly by sipping margaritas , because in Mexico most enjoy their tequila neat . In fact , we almost drank the place dry of margarita during a godsend in the early 2000s ; a country - wide tequila shortage forced one desperate NYC bartender to make a “ rum rita . ” For shame .
It has its own goddess
Tequila is made from the agave plant , which takes between six and 10 old age to fully develop and harvest , and rewards farmers ’ unwavering solitaire by conk out after one snapshot . ( Compare that to grapevines and whiskey grains , which are harvested annually and repeatedly . ) Tequila is so regulated that it can only be distill from a specific type of agave ( blue Weber ) in only five Mexican commonwealth . The precious agave is so central to Mexican acculturation that there is even an Aztec goddess dedicated to its ambrosia ( ie : tequila ): Mayahuel . Tequila is essentially her talent to mankind , so give court properly the next prison term you sip on a marg .
The glass is no accident
The margarita methamphetamine hydrochloride is almost as iconic as the margarita itself , thanks to it being used as a vas for so many different cocktails . But , there ’s a few reason why it may be influence in a way that ’s almost as large as your nerve : American cocktail drinkers need a freehanded glass than the bubbly putsch to house a margarita , thanks to all the shabu involved . ( And by ice , we mean that we just desire bighearted margaritas . )
It balances four of the five human tastes
A human taste bud can key five unlike tastes : piquant , sweet , bitter , sour and umami – a Nipponese condition for meaty / savoury named by the Japanese pharmacist who happen upon it . The margarita nail four of those five : the piquant rim of the methamphetamine , the sweetness of the American aloe , the bitterness of the tequila , and the sourness of the limes . And besides adding that salty / sweet complexness , the salt rim has a balancing result : According to the Institute of Medicine , atomic number 11 - containing compound neutralize bitter taste perception on the tongue . So when you take a sip of a margarita with salt , you cut the bitterness of the fluxing lime and tequila , while heightening the sugariness and sour . That citrus nip from the burnt lime also helps countervail bitterness , thanks to its high sourness .
It can be deceptively simple or ridiculously complex
A classic margarita is made with three thing : tequila , hydrated lime juice , and agave . Normally , you ’ll also throw in some orange liqueur , like triple sec or Cointreau . That super simple recipe creates set of scope for variations , like the jalapeno margarita ( which will in reality help cool you down in hot conditions ) , or sweeter take with impudent berries and herb . Mezcal , another pot liquor distilled from agave , has a smoky flavor and is also used in marg fluctuation . Or , you could try a Cadillac , which is a margarita top out with a float guessing of Grand Mariner . That original margarita recipe is most likely a variation on the “ tequila daisy ” cocktail , which involve citrus , a sweetener , and tequila , and became popular after the end of Prohibition . Spanish for “ daisy ” is , you guessed it , “ margarita . ”
It perfectly pairs with your food
The marg is one of the most food - friendly cocktail out there , and specially when it total to Tex - Mex . The icy body helps cool down the raciness , while the acidity compliments fattier intellectual nourishment like meat and cheese . That piquant lip also adds some more deepness to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in your food for thought . Now you know why you always want a marg with your greaser .
It’s in the Smithsonian, kind of
If we could trace the frozen margarita boom back to one man , it would be Mariano Martinez , a Dallas restaurateur who , after have a terrible gap night at his Tex Mex joint in 1971 , decided to up the ante . Martinez , urge on by the Slurpee machine at the 711 , souped up an ice emollient machine and tweak his founding father ’s margarita recipe until frozen margarita emerged . Restaurants all over the area caught on quickly , but Martinez in conclusion got the credit he deserves for “ stock-still or on the rocks ? ” in 2005 , when the Smithsonian adopt his original margarita machine .
Zach DeSart/Offset
Zach DeSart/Offset
