February 22nd is National Margarita Day

National Margarita Day is observed annually on February 22nd.

Usually served in a salted rim glass and known to be the most common tequila-based cocktail served in the United States, the margarita is a cocktail that consists of tequila, triple sec and lime or lemon juice. A key ingredient is the freshly squeezed lime juice.  In the United States, the most common lime is the thick-skinned Persian lime.  When margarita’s are made with lemons, they have a much softer taste.

There are many different stories and myths, beginning as early as 1938, as to how and when the margarita was created.

In the December 1953 issue of Esquire magazine, the margarita cocktail was the “Drink of the Month”.  The recipe as printed was:

1 ounce tequila

Dash of Triple Sec

Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

Pour over crushed ice, stir.  Rub the rim of a stem glass with rind of lemon or lime, spin in salt—pour, and sip.  

The margarita was further popularized with the 1977 release of Jimmy Buffett’s song “Margaritaville”.