About the margarita cocktail

The margarita cocktail is a tequila based cocktail, usually made with citrus juice, sweetened with syrup or a liqueur and usually served in a glass with a salt rim. The margarita cocktail is part of the ‘sour’ cocktail family.

A brief history of the margarita cocktail

The origin story margarita has various versions. One of the most well known is that Carlos “Danny” Herrera developed the drink at his Tijuana-area restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, around 1938. As the legend goes, Herrera dreamed up the cocktail for one of his customers, an aspiring actress named Marjorie King who was allergic to all hard alcohol other than tequila. To make the liquor more palatable to his client, he combined the elements of a traditional tequila shot—a lick of salt and a wedge of lime—and turned them into a refreshing drink.

According to The Complete Book of Spirits by Anthony Dias Blue, though, the first importer of Jose Cuervo in the United States advertised with the tagline, "Margarita: it's more than a girl's name," in 1945, three years before Sames claimed to have invented the drink.

But there are lots of women whom the drink can be named after. Many tales of the margarita claim to be named after women with the namesake. For example, in 1941, bartender Don Carlos Orozco was tending bar in Ensenada, Mexico. While, he was making cocktails, Margarita Henkel, daughter of a German ambassador, walked into his bar.

However, the margarita may not be named after a beautiful woman at all, but instead may just be a variation of another cocktail that was popular during Prohibition: the Daisy. In fact, margarita means “daisy” in Spanish. The only difference between the Daisy and the margarita is that the former was made with brandy and the latter with tequila. However, it’s remarkable to see what a simple swap of spirits does for a cocktail. How many people today have heard of the Daisy? The tequila-filled margarita, however, is famous in epic proportions.

THE MOST POPULAR FLAVOR OF MARGARITA IN THE US

The most popular flavor of margarita of this time is the spicy margarita. According to Ivy Mix, author of Spirits of Latin America and co-owner of the agave-centric Brooklyn bar Leyenda, it’s the jalapeno infused tequila that is their No. 1 seller.

DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF MARGARITA

The classic margarita is made with tequila, citrus juice, simple syrup and served in a glass with salt rim. Margaritas are mostly shaken and served either straight, in a margarita coupe, or over ice in a double rocks glass.

At Paraiso we offer the best margaritas in Washington D.C. You will find options of passion fruit, hibiscus, spicy and blood orange margarita on our mezcaleria menu. Our El Diablo margarita is crafted with 100% agave tequila, blood orange, habanero, lime, smoked chile salt. Try our margarita flight to see which flavor you like the most. Our Bar Manager Jose Diaz makes his margaritas with only 100% agave tequila. Salud!