Like most cocktails, the origin of the Margarita has many claims, but one of the most popular stories is that Carlos ‘Danny’ Herrera invented the drink at his restaurant Rancho La Gloria in the late 1930s.

Legend has it Herrera concocted the drink for one of his customers, Marjorie King – an aspiring actress who was allergic to all alcohol except tequila. To make the cocktail more palatable, Herrera combined the three traditional elements of a tequila shot – a lick of salt and a wedge of lime – and mixed them into a refreshing drink.

Another claimant of the drink is a wealthy Dallas socialite named Margarita Sames, who said she created the cocktail for her friends at her vacation home in 1948. One guest, Tommy Hilton, eventually added the drink to his hotel bar menu.

However, according to ‘The Complete Book of Spirits’ by Anthony Dias Blue, the first importer of Jose Cuervo tequila in America advertised with the tagline, “Margarita: it’s more than a girl’s name,” in 1945 – three years before Sames claimed to have created the drink.

Ingredients:
35ml Tequila
20ml Cointreau
35ml fresh lime juice
Handful ice cubes
Salt
Lime wedge to garnish.

Method:
1. Mix the Tequila, Cointreau and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice cubes.

2. Run a wedge of lime around the rim of a Martini glass and dip in salt.

3. Strain the Tequila mix into the glass and garnish with a wedge of lime.

Why not have a Mocktail?
For a non-alcoholic alternative, mix 50ml limeade, 25ml orange juice, 10ml lemon juice, 10ml lime juice, pinch of sugar and ice.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY