Tequila

     Choosing the right tequila is the key to creating the perfect margarita recipe.  Knowing the different types and how they are made can lead to improving the overall taste of your margaritas.

     Tequila is required to be at least 51% agave.  In this type of tequila, the remainder is usually sugarcane.  Premium tequila has the best taste and quality.  It is made with 100% blue agave juices and must be distilled and bottled in Mexico. "Tequila 100% de Agave" or "Tequila 100% puro de Agave" must comply with strict Mexican government regulations.

 Types of Tequila

Blanco (Silver)

This tequila is not aged.  Its appearance is clear and transparent. It is bottled immediately after the distillation process

Oro (Gold)

This tequila is generally not aged.  Ingredients include 51% agave and 49% sugar alcohol.  Caramel, fructose, glycerin and wood flavoring are usually added to simulate aging. This is typically the type of tequila found in frozen margaritas.

Añejo (Aged)

It is Blanco tequila that has been aged in white oak casks for more than a year but less than 3 years.  Ingredients include 100% agave. The amber color and woody flavor are picked up from the oak.

Reposado (Rested)

It is Blanco that has been kept in white oak casks from 2 to 11 months. Ingredients include 100% agave.

Tequila isn't only the base for a Margarita, on many occasions enjoyed on it's own. People who play poker for example, talk of tequila poker which is a take off of the poker games they  play only much more fun. 
 

Margarita Variations

       While the most common margarita recipes contain tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice, and an additional sweetener, such as simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water), many variations are becoming more and more common.

Who Created the Margarita?

     There are many stories about who invented the margarita and why. The following four are perhaps the most commonly repeated tales of the creator of the margarita cocktail.

Danny Negrete, 1936

     According to Salvador Negrete, the son of Daniel Negrete, the family story goes that Daniel opened a bar at the Garci Crispo hotel with his brother, David. The day before David's marriage, Daniel presented the margarita as a wedding present to Margarita, his sister-in-law.

     It was a combination of one-third Triple Sec, one-third tequila and one-third squeezed Mexican lime juice. The drink was not blended and was served with hand-crushed ice.

Francisco "Pancho" Morales, 4th of July, 1942

     In El Paso, Texas, a bartender, Pancho Morales invented the margarita on July 4, 1942, at a Juárez, Mexico bar named Tommy's Place. Supposedly, a woman requested a Magnolia (brandy, Cointreau, and an egg yolk topped with Champagne). Morales was a little fuzzy on the recipe; he improvised and his ersatz creation was a big hit.

Carlos "Danny" Herrera, 1938

     Carlos "Danny" Herrera mixed a jigger of white tequila with lemon juice and Triple Sec, creating a smooth and salty concoction he named "margarita", in October/November of 1938
The bar was Rancho La Gloria,midway on the old road that connected Tijuana with Rosarito Beach. A showgirl and sometime actress who called herself Marjorie King (she regularly played piano in and around San Diego at the Del Cornado Hotel and Del Mar, just to name a few) was one of the customers. 

No stay in America's Finest City is ever complete without sampling the fun and excitement offered by the San Diego nightlife first.

She was allergic to all hard liquor, except for tequila, but she didn't like to drink it straight or even with a lemon and salt.

     Mr. Herrera started experimenting and came up with a concoction that was three parts white tequila, two parts Cointreau and one part fresh lemon juice. He added shaved ice and blended the mixture with a hand shaker. This is the most provable, and well known account, through research, and tracable extended family members (Daughter Jeanie Mackay, Eugene Oregon, and son Townsend King Jr.of Ramona Calif.)

Margaret Sames, December 1948

     Sames, who created the drink at her Acapulco bar, gave the reason of being "close with a lot of famous hotel and restaurant people" in introducing the margarita.
Sames used one part Cointreau, two parts tequila and one part lime juice for her margarita. Knowing that most people drank tequila preceded by a lick of salt, she chose to garnish her cocktail with a rim of coarse salt.

     Sames moved to El Paso, TX in 1958 where she was well known for her lavish parties. In 1982 she appeared on NBC's Today show demonstrating the proper way to make a margarita.

Santos Cruz, 1948
The legendary Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas, head bartender Santos Cruz created the Margarita for singer Peggy (Margaret) Lee in 1948. The Balinese Room was opened in 1941 and was Texas's finest nightclub with A/C, casino gambling, superb food and drinks, and stellar entertainment. Today a live casino may be entertaining but it cannot compare with the luxurious Balinese Room which has made its way into Margarita history. 

First Frozen Margarita Machine

     The first frozen margarita machine was invented on May 11, 1971 by Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez. The machine was originally a soft-serve ice cream machine and now sits in the Smithsonian National Museum of History. 

Smithsonian Press Release
Viva la Margarita! - Interview with the Creator