The number-one-selling cocktail in the U.S. has its own special day, and here are some outstanding recipes to celebrate with.
Get ready to celebrate a holiday you (probably) didn’t know existed: National Margarita Day.
“America loves margaritas. It’s the number-one-selling cocktail in the country,” said Kyle Ford, a New York City-based mixologist and brand ambassador for Cointreau, a brand of triple sec, an orange-flavored liqueur that is an ingredient in the standard margarita. “There’s a holiday for almost everything, so how cool is it that there’s one for a cocktail?”
Like most cocktail lore, there are conflicting sources about the origins of the margarita, but Ford subscribes to one story: The first margarita was created in 1948 by Margaret “Margarita” Sames, a Dallas Socialite who “had a penchant for tequila, and loved Cointreau.” During one party at her Acapulco vacation home - which is said to have lasted two weeks - she served the spirits mixed with fresh lime juice and garnished the rim of the glass with salt.
Part of the reason the cocktail is such a hit, Ford explains, is that it follows classic cocktail principals of 2-1-1 (two parts tequila to one part lime juice and one part Cointreau).
“It’s extremely well balanced. It’s strong, sweet and sour,” he said. “And that sets you up for an infinite amount of variations.”
And the timing of the holiday? Jenna Fagan, the president of Tequila Avión, thinks that it’s perfect for winter-weary New Yorkers.
“When you’re having a great drink it transports you emotionally,” Fagan said. “A margarita transports us all to summer,sitting on that beach with a margarita in hand.”
Need inspiration to celebrate? Here a few recipes to get you in the holiday spirit:
The original Cointreau margarita (pictured above)
2 oz. Blanco tequila
1 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. Lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice. Shake and strain into a margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and salt.
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