Imagine me, a college freshman, looking to change things up. After weeks of mixing cheap alcohol and whatever soda the vending machine still had in stock, my friends and I were looking for something new. A Big Bucket of Margarita and three hours in the freezer later, I was sipping on my first margarita. Although I enjoyed my drink, I had to Google "What's in a Margarita?" because I had pretty much no idea what I was drinking. Lucky for you, I've learned a lot about margaritas since that night.
What's in a Margarita?
What's in a margarita that makes it so tasty? Margaritas are a mix of tequila, triple sec, lime juice and salt or sugar for the rim of the glass. Sometimes simple syrup is added to mask the alcohol a bit. This drink is best served with ice or you can make a ~fun~ slushy margarita by blending the mix with some ice.
To me, margaritas taste kind of like an adult limeade. Margaritas, at their base, are a limeade thanks to the lime juice and sugar. The tequila and triple sec make them a little more ~grown up~. Although you can taste the tequila flavor, this is a drink that you can sip on and enjoy (unlike a shot of tequila).
History of the Margarita
The history of the Margarita is ambiguous, as many people want to take credit for this delicious drink. One origin story is that the margarita was invented by Carlos "Danny" Herrera in Mexico, who made a drink for a dancer who was allergic to most alcohols, except tequila. Another story claims that a bartender, Don Carlos Orozco, was making a drink for this daughter, Margarita, and thus the margarita was created. There are quite a few more origin stories, but we can't be sure whether any of them are true. No matter the real story, we are grateful this drink was created.
Popular Variations
Margaritas come in all different flavors and blends. If you're looking to play around with margarita flavors at home, try this blackberry-mint margarita. Or maybe you can't decide between wine and a margarita so you go with a red wine margarita. If you're feeling a summery drink, try this watermelon margarita. You can even create your own flavor!
Margaritas are a timeless drink that can spice up any cocktail night. Whether you like them shaken, stirred, or blended, margaritas are a drink you're sure to enjoy.