5 Margarita Recipes to Stir up for National Margarita Day
Who doesn't love a good margarita?
Jenna Anderson
There really is no cocktail quite like a margarita. With each sip of the iced drink, the tangy triple sec brings a burst of flavor cut with the warmth of tequila, the tartness of lime, and the sweet brininess of the sugar salt rim. It’s a crowd-pleaser!
February 22 is National Margarita Day, a chance to pay homage to one of the most popular tequila cocktails—but the jury is still out on who invented the drink. We know it originated in Mexico around the 1930s to 1940s. But was the creator a Mexican restaurant owner who mixed up the cocktail in 1938 for showgirl Marjorie King? Or did Texas socialite Margaret Sames concoct the drink during a house party in Mexico in 1948? Texas Monthly reported in the 1970s that it was actually Francisco “Pancho” Morales, a well-known bartender in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He claims he invented the drink in 1942 on the fly when he didn’t know how to make the magnolia cocktail a customer asked for.
No matter which story you believe, we can all be grateful that someone created the margarita, and you can stir one up to celebrate National Margarita Day. Here are five delicious recipes to try.
Margarita Recipes
1 /5Annabelle Breakey
Sunset Margarita
The sun is setting. Your thirst is rising. What to drink? Answer: The Sunset Margarita, a twist on the classic recipe livened up with pomegranate juice.
2 /5Thomas J. Story
Hatch Margarita
If you don’t drink alcohol, the Hatch chile lemonade is delicious on its own. At Valentine restaurant in Phoenix, where we got this recipe, they make their own bell pepper juice, but to simplify the process we add a piece to the blender along with the other ingredients.
3 /5Andrea M. Gómez
Cranberry Margaritas
The holidays might be over, but you can still enjoy this festive frozen drink featuring both cranberry juice cocktail and fresh cranberries. Reserve some of those fresh berries to make a simple garnish.
4 /5Thomas J. Story
Lightning Margarita
Born of the need to serve 50,000 cocktails over a weekend musical festival known as Lightning in a Bottle, this fresh and spicy margarita now lives in the taps of the Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown, California.
5 /5Courtesy of Sunset Staff
A San Diego-Inspired Beergarita
This Beer-Margarita is an ode to the City of San Diego, paired with Chula Vista’s Güerita Blonde Ale. You can also try this recipe with your favorite beer to craft a beergarita.