A margarita is the most common tequila-based cocktail and one of the most popular mixed drinks for a good reason. Margaritas are easy to make, provoke both the sweet and sour taste buds in our mouths and make every night a Mexican festival. For a long time, original margarita was the only kind of margarita you could order, but today hundreds of different variations are found and many more are created to bring a piece of Mexico to your favorite bar.
History
Margaritas have been around since the 1950s, and there are several legends on who created the first margarita. According to one legend, the drink was first created by a Hollywood socialite called Margarita Sames at one of her pool parties in Mexico in the 1940s. Another legends tells a story of a showgirl named Marjorie King, who was allergic to all alcohol besides tequila. During a visit to Mexico, a bartender mixed her a drink with tequila and called it margarita, an equivalent of her name in Spanish. A third legend makes the creation of margaritas a coincidence after a bartender could not create a drink named magnolia and came up with a new drink with tequila. He named the drink daisy, or margarita in Spanish.
Traditional Ingredients
A margarita is a traditional Mexican cocktail that only has few ingredients. A simple and traditional margarita recipe includes tequila, triple sec as a sweetener, and freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice. Mix the liquids by shaking and strain over ice on a salt-rimmed glass. Today, some bartenders believe that a salt rim is not necessary, as it only masks the taste of the tequila or hides the taste of poor-quality ingredients.
Tequilas
Several brands of tequila exist today and are used to make margaritas. What brand you prefer depends on your taste, but most tequilas make good margaritas. Citizens of different countries can also have their own preferences. Americans, for example, often ask for Don Julio tequila while the British do not favor any one brand. As long as the tequila is made from 100 percent agave, the brand does not play a big role in whether your margarita is a success or not. Basic Silver and Reposado are two examples of good tequilas for margaritas, and Jose Cuervo, Siete Leguas, Arette and Gran Centenario are good tequila brands.
Flavored Margaritas
Besides the traditional lime or lemon juice used to create margaritas, alternative fruit purees and juices are used today to mix the drinks. Raspberry, strawberry and mango are just some of the most popular juices or purees used to flavor margaritas. These new mixes can easily be recognized from the name of the margarita, as the name of the fruit juice or puree is added as an adjective in the name of the margarita, such as strawberry margarita. In addition to fruit purees and juices, different fruity tastes can be created using flavored alcohols. Melon flavor is achieved with Midori liqueur, while raspberry flavor comes from Chambord liqueur. Sometimes triple sec, an orange-flavored liqueur, is substituted with other orange-flavored liqueurs, such as Patron Citronge, Cointreau, Blue Curacao, Grand Marnier or Gran Gala.
Ice
Margaritas are meant to be refreshing on a hot day, so ice is an important part of a margarita mix. You can order your margarita either shaken with ice, poured over crushed ice or blended. Many bartenders, however, prefer margaritas over crushed ice.
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