Margarita

Agave, lime and salt.

Pure agave tequila, triple sec and fresh lime, shaken and served up. The bright acidity of lime and the orange note of the liqueur lift the earthy character of tequila, with a salt rim as counterpoint.

IBA · Contemporary Classics
Aperitif
Shaken

Glass: Cocktail glass
Method: Shaken
Strength: Medium
Time: 3 min
Difficulty: Medium
Ice: No ice

Ingredients

Servings 1

Tequila 50 ml
Triple sec 20 ml
Lime juice 15 ml

Garnish

Salt rim (optional)

Proportions

How to make

Chill a cocktail glass.
If desired, rim half the glass with salt.
Fill a shaker with ice.
Pour the tequila.
Pour the triple sec.
Pour the lime juice.
Shake hard.
Strain into the chilled glass.

The story

Origins

LegendA story passed down, not confirmed by the sources.

The Margarita's origins are among the most disputed in mixology. Many see it as an evolution of the Tequila Daisy, mentioned in the American press from 1936 (margarita is Spanish for daisy). In 1937 London's Café Royal Cocktail Book printed the Picador, with almost identical proportions. The name Margarita appears in print in September 1953, and the first recipe ran in Esquire that December. Proposed inventors abound: Carlos 'Danny' Herrera in Rosarito for actress Marjorie King, Pancho Morales in Ciudad Juárez in 1942, Danny Negrete in 1936, Texan socialite Margaret Sames in Acapulco in 1948, and Johnny Durlesser at Los Angeles' Tail o' the Cock. None of these accounts is proven.

Sources (2)

Taste profile

Citrus: 4 out of 5
Sour: 4 out of 5
Strong: 3 out of 5
Sweet: 2 out of 5