History Of The Margarita Cocktail
The Margarita has many origin stories, but the first published record was in a 1953 Esquire article where it was introduced as sort of a Mexican Daiquiri. Johnny Dresser of Henry’s Tail O’ the Cock was given credit for creating the cocktail in 1937. Countless other bartenders have tried taking credit, as this simple cocktail circulated in many places long before a recipe was published, considering that it’s a simple combination of tequila, lime juice, and an orange liqueur.
How the Margarita Became So Popular
This cocktail soared in popularity throughout the sixties as tequila was touted as a favourite by many famous musicians. The Eagles had their big hit, “Tequila Sunrise,” which led many fans to try both that and the Margarita. Jimmy Buffett’s, “Margaritaville,” kept interest soaring even higher.
But back in the sixties, the Margarita was made with cheap mixtos, commonly coming frozen with artificial sour mix off of the gun, but with surging interest in quality tequilas, this cocktail is more commonly made in line with its origins, including a 100% puro agave tequila, fresh lime juice, and a quality orange liqueur such as Cointreau.
How to Make a Margarita Cocktail
The Most Common Recipe
There isn’t exactly a standard recipe for this signature classic. However, many bars will make it a similar way commercially to keep costs low.
This recipe consists of 1 ½ oz tequila, ½ oz orange liqueur, and 1 oz of lime juice. The result of this ratio is that the cocktail is significantly more sour than sweet, as the goal is to keep the total volume of alcohol at 2 oz.
At home, we recommend trying ¾ oz orange liqueur, or keeping the liqueur at ½ oz but adding a bar spoon of agave syrup to achieve a better balance.
Tommy's Margarita
This cocktail can be made as both a Sour or a Daisy, but more often, it’s made with orange liqueur. Some bars feature a recipe called Tommy’s Margarita, using agave syrup in place of orange liqueur. Many other bars use a little of both sweeteners. Try making your Margaritas multiple ways and see which is your favourite.
Bartender Tips
- The key to a quality Margarita starts with using a quality tequila. We recommend using one of these.
- Never skimp on fresh juice or the quality of orange liqueur.
- Try making a Strawberry-Jalapeno Margarita, or even a Mango, or Pineapple Margarita. The delicious possibilities are almost endless.
