Move over apple pie, there’s a new American classic in town – the margarita. So beloved, it’s earned a holiday all its own. The margarita has a long and storied history in the United States, making it one of the most popular cocktails of all time. In honor of International Margarita Day, let’s look at the drink’s composition and history before diving into the best ways to celebrate the famous cocktail on its big day.
International Margarita Day: Setting the Stage
When it comes to mixed drinks involving tequila, the margarita is the undisputed king of the cocktail. Multiple periodicals routinely include it on their top ten list of best cocktails in the world. In fact, a recent Nielsen poll found it to be the preferred cocktail of more than 56% of the population. That’s saying something, especially given that the margarita is in the middle of the pack price-wise, easily costing more than most other cocktails.
It’s not just the bar crowd that loves a good margarita. The same Nielsen poll reported that in 2021, the ready-to-drink (RTD) category saw a 25% increase in sales where margaritas are concerned. Pre-made margarita mixes accounted for 46% of all mixes sold for the entire year.
Numbers are similar for the home mixologist as well. Decanter.com notes that the margarita is the most popular mixed drink in 30 or more countries, citing a study using Google search data that recorded more than 546,000 search queries for homemade margarita recipes every month.
With the margarita’s universal popularity, it’s easy to see why we give it a day of celebration. It’s a day dedicated to all things tequila, including the numerous variations found around the world, the best ingredients for making your margarita, and the best ready-to-drink brands if you don’t feel like putting in the individual effort.
Before we raise our glasses and dive into the delicious world of margaritas, let’s take a moment to unravel the mystery behind this beloved cocktail and discover what makes it a true classic.
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What Is a Margarita?
At its heart, the margarita is a simple, classic drink packed to the ceiling with flavor. A great margarita requires the perfect balance of three quality ingredients: tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur (typically orange curacao or triple sec)..
Some bartenders and mixologists will add additional syrups for flavor or a garnish, like lime slices around the drink’s rim. At bars and restaurants, you’ll often see the rim of the margarita glass covered with salt to offset the sweet, tart, and tangy taste of the drink. But the basic recipe for the beloved margarita is universal.
There are other ways to make a margarita, of course. Every year tequila manufacturers such as Patron hold global margarita-making contests in preparation for International Margarita Day, in which mixologists compete to develop a new twist on the drink’s signature style. No matter how you like your margarita, whether traditional or customized, the drink remains a global classic.
Who invented it? The answer is up for debate.
We’ve already called the margarita an American classic. That’s because two different American bartenders laid claim to the invention back in the 1940s. First was Santos Cruz from Galveston, Texas. He first mixed up the titular drink for singer and actress Peggy Lee sometime around 1948. As the story goes, she loved tequila and wanted a version of the sidecar that included her liquor of choice.
Around the same time, bartender Enrique Bastate Gutierrez created the exact combination to honor his favorite actress and muse, Rita Hayworth. Further complicating the picture is the fact that Tijuana bartender Carlos “Danny” Herrera created the drink during the same time period at the request of actress Marjorie King. As the legend goes, the actress was allergic to every type of liquor except tequila and wanted a flavorful cocktail that she could actually drink and enjoy.
Confusing origins aside, the margarita has gone on to become one of the most beloved cocktails all over the world, appealing to celebrities and everyday people alike.
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Top Ways to Celebrate International Margarita Day in Style
While it’s not hard to grab yourself a margarita as a form of simple celebration, this popular, storied drink deserves a more robust level of fanfare. Here are some ways to level up your International Margarita Day celebrations.
Host a Margarita Tasting
The margarita is a social cocktail. It’s a drink that begs a crowd. Don’t make it a solo affair. Instead, organize a margarita tasting for you and your closest friends.
You can sample margaritas using different brands of tequila or even a wide array of unique garnishes and accents, or you can flip the script entirely with a ready-to-drink, canned cocktail margarita. With the right canned cocktail, you can experience bar-quality cocktails premixed and in the perfect proportions. Start with the highest quality, and what you create from there is where the tasting fun starts. You can be sure that your RTD margarita will fit right in.
Spend the Day Exploring
While there’s nothing quite like a bar-made margarita, the bar scene isn’t for everyone. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a homebody (although that’s perfectly fine too). It’s a wide, wide world, with other adventures to be had.
This International Margarita Day, grab a pack of canned cocktails and head to your favorite location. No need to take all the tools and ingredients necessary for a traditionally mixed drink—the right RTD canned cocktail will offer uncompromising taste in a perfectly portable can. Whether you go on a romantic picnic, a relaxing hike, or just out exploring everything the world has to offer, you can celebrate this holiday with all the taste and none of the fuss.
Keep It Simple
There’s just something about the margarita that is better enjoyed in good company. It’s a spirited drink ideally suited to a celebratory atmosphere. While the margarita is comfortable being the life of the party, it also has just the right amount of sophistication to be enjoyed in a quieter, more comfortable environment as well.
Forego the hectic bar scene and enjoy a quiet, reflective moment alone or with a loved one. Canned cocktail margaritas let you enjoy the taste and quality of your favorite bartender’s special in the comfort of your own home, without the usual work or cleanup.
Ready-to-drink canned margaritas go especially well with a relaxing movie or game night. Given their citrusy tartness, they also serve as an excellent pairing for a wide range of foods. Speaking of food, which entrées pair best with the famed margarita?
Pair It with Food
For such a simple recipe, the margarita has a surprisingly complex array of flavors. There’s a hint of sweetness, a hint of tartness, and a whole lot of tangy citrus. Because of its native complexity, it’s an easy drink to pair with the right foods.
All sources point to the margarita’s southern origins. Depending on who you believe, it either originated in Texas or in Tijuana. Either way, the margarita is an excellent accent for Mexican style food, such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas. The tangy flavor provides the perfect complement to spicy, seasoned meats.
The margarita has loads of versatility if Mexican isn’t quite your thing. The lime juice serves as the perfect accent for the basic and adaptable flavor of chicken dishes. It also perfectly offsets the saltwater flavor of multiple types of fish, shrimp, and even lobster.
Want to tone things down foodwise? If you’re counting calories, a margarita is the perfect companion to any number of salads. The punchy, bright flavor of the lime and curacao, added to the bitterness of the liquor, are the perfect way to jazz up a simple salad or draw out the flavor from a shrimp or chicken-filled garden blend. Because of the margarita’s complexity, the possibilities are quite literally endless.
Enjoy International Margarita Day With Your Favorite Canned Cocktail
The margarita is a staple drink of the bar scene. In terms of notoriety, it is one of the most popular drinks in the entire world. With so many top-notch tequilas available, it’s easy to find a mixologist who can craft you a fantastic margarita. But you don’t need to head to a bar to find the perfect drink.
The right ready-to-drink canned cocktail margaritas use equal amounts of high-quality silver tequila, 100% real lime juice, and orange curacao. Mixed and proportioned correctly, you’ll get a drink that’s authentic and refreshing. The convenience of canned cocktails lets you take the celebration anywhere at a fraction of the cost.
Embrace the convenience, comfort, and adaptability of canned margarita cocktails from Post Meridiem. All the flavors from 100% real ingredients, nothing artificial, and no compromise. Visit us today to start your order and check out our full product lineup.
