Behind every great thing a man has done, there is always a lady who has inspired it. Margarita is no exception from the same. Tune in to the origin's of one of the most popular cocktails in the world.
One of the most popular cocktails in the world, Margarita is a go-to concoction for many who are in doubt of what to order at a bar. It's simple!! It's delicious!! It’s genius!!
This quintessential cocktail is a mix of few ingredients that can be found at any bar in the world, a recipe so simple and refreshing. The go-to cocktail, I would say. But who do we thank, for this beautiful tipple?
Like most of the bygone cocktails, Margarita has its own fair share of stories of origin and I will talk about the ones I believe the most. So let’s begin.
The Daniel “Danny” Negrete
Daniel Negrete, manager at Garci Crespo Hotel in Puebla, Mexico is one of the first people to claim the invention of Margarita. It’s said that the recipe was created as a present in 1936 for his girlfriend Margarita, who used to like salt in her drinks.
Daniel "Danny" Negrete
Hotel Garci Crespo
In 1944, he relocated to Tijuana where he worked as a bartender at Agua Caliente Racetrack, the place that claims to be the birthplace of Margarita. Surprisingly Margarita Cansino was a regular performer at Agua Caliente Race Track, maybe it was named after her; why is she important, you ask? Margarita Cansino is another name of starlet Rita Hayworth; might be a good reason, right!!.
Rita Hayworth
The Carlos “Danny” Herrera
Carlos Herrera is said to have created the cocktail at Rancho La Gloria bar in Rosarito, Mexico in 1947 or 1948. A dancer named Marjorie King visited his restaurant and declare that she is allergic to all spirits other than tequila and was not fond of having it straight. That’s when he replicated an existing tequila drink with a salt rim; added lime juice and orange liqueur to it and gave us Margarita. Margarita is the closest interpretation to Marjorie in Spanish.
Carlos "Danny" Herrera
Marjorie King
The Margarita Sames
Margarita Sames, a socialite from Dallas also claims the cocktail to her name. While vacationing with her husband and friends at Acapulco, Mexico in 1948; she kept trying to create a perfect poolside drink. Her concoctions with rum were a failure and Tequila was not very much known to be used in cocktails.
She used the native spirit of Mexico and experimented, she ended up with this recipe of Tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a salt-rimmed glass. A drink she and husband Bill, use to regularly serve to their friends. The drink was loved in their circle and that’s where it gained popularity.
Her friends were Tommy Hilton, of Hilton hotel chain who added it to his bar menus; hotel Bel-Air owner Joseph Drown, actors Luna Turner and John Wayne who also added to the popularity of the cocktail.
The only issue with her claim is that, Jose Cuervo in 1945 was already running a campaign called “Margarita: It’s more than a girl’s name” to promote the drink; which for me nullifies her claim. Maybe, she must have tried this recipe in Mexico and used her name to impress her influential friends; which obviously added to the popularity of the cocktail.
So, the stories behind this cocktail are as versatile as the cocktail itself, what is common in all the stories are this delicious concoction and influence of ladies. The next time you order a Margarita, say cheers with the story you love the most.
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