Today is National Margarita Day -Hooray!

Not being a person who imbibes (he said with a sly wink), I am writing today's blog in honor of a friend of mine who enjoys a good Margarita on occasion.

 

The margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with orange-flavoured liqueur and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. It is the most common tequila-based cocktail in the United States. The drink is served shaken with ice, on the rocks, blended with ice (frozen margarita) or without ice (straight up).

The IBA (IBA Official list of Cocktails) standard is 7:4:3, that is, 50% tequila, 29% Cointreau, 21% fresh lime or lemon juice.

Flavored liqueurs

Other orange-flavored liqueurs that might be used include triple sec or blue curaçao yielding the blue margarita. When sweeter fruit juices or freshly puréed fruits are added to the margarita, the amount of orange-flavored liqueur is often reduced or eliminated entirely. In addition to orange-flavored liqueurs, secondary liqueurs may occasionally be added to the cocktail, including melon-flavored or black raspberry-flavored.

Fresh lime juice

Freshly squeezed lime juice is the key ingredient. The most common lime in the U.S. is the thick-skinned Persian lime. However, margaritas in Mexico are generally made with Mexican limes (Key limes). These are small, thin-skinned limes and have a more tart and an often bitter flavor compared to Persian limes. Margaritas made with lemon have a softer taste, especially when Meyer lemons are used.

One common tale about the origin (and my favorite) begins the cocktail’s history at the legendary Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas where, in 1948, head bartender Santos Cruz created the Margarita for singer Peggy Lee (my mothers favorite singer). He supposedly named it after the Spanish version of her name, Margarita, and it’s been a hit ever since.

Aren't you glad you logged onto my blog today? Now you have a perfect excuse to fix yourself a nice refreshing Margarita in celebration of National Margarita Day!

Not too many though! I want you to:

 

Live Long and Prosper...