Hey there!

Here are 3 things you may not have known about the history of the Margarita!

#1

The recipe for the Margarita may be based off a popular 19th century cocktail called “The Daisy.”

First featured in the 1876 publication of “The Bar-Tender’s Guide” by Jerry “The Professor” Thomas, the Daisy was super popular in the U.S. throughout the late 1800s.

The Daisy is actually a family of cocktails, meaning that the base ingredients generally stay the same, but the liquor is changed to suit the drinker’s preference.

The base of the Daisy generally consisted of gum syrup, lemon juice, orange cordial, alcohol, seltzer water, and ice.

Also of note is that margarita is Spanish for daisy. Why does this matter? You’ll find out in our last factoid!

#2

The earliest recorded recipe for the Margarita is from 1937 and consisted of tequila, cointreau, and, (get this!), lemon juice, not lime!

#3

Tequila cocktails became very popular in the U.S. starting in the 1920s because of Prohibition. U.S. citizens would drive across the border to Mexico and would bring back bottles of tequila with them.

Because of this boozy tourism, tequila cocktails became very popular starting in the 1920s and throughout the 1930s, possibly leading to the creation of the Margarita.