A strip mall Tex-Mex joint in Austin, Texas. He scratched a few lyrics in his yellow notebook and motioned for another drink. The tour had been exhilarating, one of his best yet, and the band was coming together nicely. But gigging on the road was a hard life, putting pressure on already tenuous balances of business, revelry, and love. It was a life he chose, or it chose him, either way he knew it was his own damn fault.
Later that day while stuck in traffic on the 7 mile bridge en route to his home in Key West he finished the song. But it wasn’t until the year of our Lord 1976, Miami, Florida when that young folk singer began recording the chorus of cocktailia that would skyrocket him not only to music legend, but cultural lifestyle icon.
The Daiquiri, the Mai Tai. Part of the charms in tropical tippling history are the friendly, (and sometimes not so friendly), feuds surrounding these lurid libations. But no other drink holds such juxtapositions in quality and variation. With the widest chasm between authentic and pre-mixed, no other cocktail is so diametrically opposed to itself.
Likewise, no other cultural phenomenon rivals the level of tropical escapism created by Don the Beachcomber, doing for the Caribbean what Don did for Polynesia. Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to put on some thigh high cut off shorts, an old tank top, and a straw cowboy hat and waste away again with me this episode as we sip on the Margarita.
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Over half a century before Margaritaville became the anthem of the frustrated working-class seeking a weekend of tropical dalliance, i.e., “Leave daddy alone when he’s wearing his Hawaiian shirt in the backyard”, folks from the U.S. that couldn’t afford the trip to Havana during prohibition were crossing the border into Mexico to taste this new-to-them spirit. And waaaay before that when Spanish conquistadors began distilling agave back in the 1500’s they created, (sorry Kentucky Bourbon), the first native North American spirit eponymously named for the nearby city of, you guessed it, Tequila.
Since this is our first visit from tequila let’s do a quick 101. Tequila is a distinct variant of mezcal, which is any spirit distilled from agave, that uses the blue agave species - much like Cognac or Champagne, Tequila, to be called such, must be distilled in the Mexican state of Jalisco - the Cuervo family was the first commercially licensed tequila distillery - the product originally called tequila extract was shortened to just Tequila for the U.S. market - and the rest, my friends, is history.
Picture the market streets of Playa Del Carmen late November. It’s still quite warm on the Yucatan peninsula as holiday decorations begin creeping into the architectural mosaic menagerie of Mexican colors, bars, restaurants and tourist shops. A small piece of the world still holding on to its cultural core while the pristine crystalline turquoise waters lap at the ancient shore. My lady and I, deciding to spend the Thanksgiving holiday and her birthday in Mexico, amble along the sidewalk after a day visiting the Mayan ruins. We find a restaurant with a large U shaped bar, my favorite sort where the front facade is open to the street. The place was styled in traditional Mexican decor and bright colors. It was the perfect example of a cantina. The margaritas were fantastic.
Then there was Havana Bob’s, the cigar shop we came to frequent. A short wooden bar squished beside the humidor was the workshop of the small chubby man squished behind it. The place was easy and comfortable and … made the best margaritas we had on the whole trip.
On Cozumel there’s La Choza, the terrace at Palmeras, and a plethora of open air shack bars along the Avenue. What do these myriad Mexican milieus have in common? Great Margaritas. Mexico doesn’t treat their native spirit like some cheap whore with fako bottom shelf blends and thigh-high sweet & sour stockings. No, the people take great pride in a truly Mexican manifestation of their culture. Quite literally right down to the land; the soil, the labor, and the terroir that produce tequila. We owe a lot to our neighbors to the south, especially considering most of the southwest U.S. was Mexico once.
But my experiences in Mexico aside, the Margarita means more to me on a visceral level than any other drink we’ve covered thus far. You see, I grew up in Florida, where the Margarita is inherent in the lifestyle and ethos. Therefore the Margarita is special because it embodies where I’m from, my tribe. What it represents is etched into who I am. Not to mention the crisp-tart-herby mix is my perfect flavor profile. Even the smell brings me home to an ocean deck in Cocoa Beach. Or better yet, my Dad’s backyard tiki bar. Sitting by the pool with the smell of fresh cut St. Augustine grass and Hibiscus blowing through the Queen Palm trees.
Unfortunately, I can’t think of any other libation that has been more a bastardised victim of the 80’s-90s’ cocktail slump than the Margarita. Sweet & Sour? Pre-bottled Margarita mix? Lime juice from concentrate? Giant liter tubes of neon green blasphemy?! Hold on, I need a minute to regain my composure. A Margarita is perfection just the way it is. Seriously, bad margaritas are what started my deep rooted discord with pre-mixes. Even if you don’t have top shelf ingredients a simple tequila-triple sec-lime juice mix will render a fine drink.
We’re going to go over those ingredients in detail as I rigorously sample many, many margaritas. In the name of research, of course. But for some history first. As you may have presumed pinning down an origin story for such a ubiquitous concoction is futile. There are a few that pop up regularly, though.
The 1937 Cafe Royal Cocktail Book holds a recipe of 2oz Tequila, 1oz Triple Sec, and 1oz lime juice, but they call it a Picador. A few sources corroborate Danny Herrera inventing the Margarita in 1938 at the Rancho La Gloria restaurant in California. Then there’s Pancho Morales from the Tommy’s Place Bar in Juarez who has a sizable faction claiming he holds the claim to creation. From Texas socialites and head bartenders throughout the 1940’s many more would throw their Stetson hats in the ring to petition for paternity, but it wasn’t till 1953 the first recipe of a Margarita as we know it was published in Esquire. Applying a little Occam’s Razor, there is one tale that I tend to believe over others.
In 1936 reporter James Graham wrote of his experience in Tijuana. While inquiring for a place to tipple a cab driver dropped him off at the establishment of one Mr. Madden. An Irishman known to history by only his surname. After much prying Madden disclosed his recipe was not a stroke of mixoligical genius, but a happy accident. While making a drink he reached for the wrong bottle and the patron actually liked it. The cocktail he was trying to make? The Daisy. Traditionally a Daisy cocktail is a mixture of spirit, liqueur, citrus, and sugar. Sound familiar? Furthermore, Margarita means daisy flower en Espanol. Mr. Madden’s creation myth may be apocryphal, but it’s quite clear the Margarita evolved from the Daisy. Oh yeah, and the original drink Mr. Madden served was called a Tequila Daisy. Elemental, my dear Watson. Elemental puro.
Of course, the most important part of a great Margarita is great ingredients. In that regard I can wax rhapsodic all day, but we’ve got a lot to cover, so … let’s make a drink!
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You don’t like tequila? You don’t even really care for Margaritas? You’ve most likely been gaffed by shots in college, premade mixes or even a certain Mr. Frog who sets up shop along cruise ship terminals luring you into inanity lest you abscond from port in search of authenticity. A great Margarita is predicated on great tequila. So, what makes great tequila?
For that we turn to Tequiliera y Catador and CEO of Cuestión Tequila, Jason Fandrich. In a conversation I had with him Jason helps us understand why you think you don’t like tequila. Basically it has to do with something you might have overlooked on the label. Does your tequila say 100% Blue Agave? If not, then that’s not all tequila in there. You see, the Norma Oficial Mexicana, or NOM, governs over tequila production much the same way AOC is to Martinique rhum or whoever this mysterious organization that presides over bourbon is. (Seriously U.S. government, can you be any less obviative about who does what here?) NOM regulations state tequila must be made from 51% agave. So, what’s the other 49%?! Answer: neutral grain spirit, sugar, water and coloring. (Ew.) Furthermore, cheap, or rather “mass produced” neutral spirits contain methanol which is not only harmful to the body but also lends to that pungent taste making you think you don’t like tequila. In fact, you don’t like bad tequila. Which makes you A-O-K in my book.
Jason goes on, “It’s not just about how much agave is used, but how is it derived.” Agave plants are divided up into the head, the heart and the tail. While the heart yields the best flavor some mass production tequilas will distill heads and tails as well again adding a pungence to the end result.
In closing, look for that 100% Blue Agave on the label to be sure you’re getting a premium tequila. Better tequila, better flavor, better experience. That’s why I reach for Cuestión Tequila Blanco. Made from the hearts of meticulously grown, harvested, and distilled agave this bright-crisp-floral tequila epitomizes what a blanco should be. The flavor is one you want to emphasize in your margarita, not cover up.
Next we dive into the simply convoluted world of orange liqueurs. I’ve often pondered the age old question, what is the real difference between triple sec and curacao, Grand Marnier and Cointreau? The simple answer is: not much. Okay, basically there are two groups of orange liqueur: Triple Sec and Curacao, respectively. In 1634, when the Dutch took control of the island of Curacao they found the oranges planted by Spanish settlers were, well, gross. Too bitter for consumption, what became known as Lahara oranges were best suited for peeling, steeping in Jamaican rum or French brandy, and macerated into a liqueur that the aristocrats back home found simply delicious.
Triple Sec on the other hand, a French style orange liqueur, is usually clear and made from a less bitter orange peel and uses less sugar during production. It’s unclear where the name Triple Sec comes from. Some say “sec” means dry, and triple can refer to either a triple distillation, three types of oranges used, or the gradations of liqueurs in the French style of Doux, Sec, Triple Sec, and Extra Sec. All of this research is anecdotal so I turned to my favorite Orange Liqueur for some answers.
Pierre Ferrand makes the Dry Orange Curacao which has become industry standard for high end mixing. Ferrand claims their Curacao is a traditional Triple Sec made in the French style. Wait, what?! These are the kind of statements that have left me nonplussed. The only thing I got from Ferrand’s bio is at least they define their triple sec as three distillations of spices with bitter orange peels and blended with brandy and Cognac.
To further mitigate the differences between the two styles was the advent of the column still and neutral spirits. Most examples of both styles use it as their base now. After a day of research with nary a satisfactory clarification I decided to do this the old fashion way. After all, I didn’t become a connoisseur by just reading about drinks. The taste test finally yielded me some results. I conclude Curacao has a more deep rich orange flavor, almost caramelly or candied. Triple Sec on the other hand has a very mild orange flavor but is way sweeter and more of an alcohol burn.
A few other things I found interesting is that Cointreau is just a high end Triple Sec and Grand Marnier is a blend of Triple Sec and brandy. It’s pretty much it’s own thing. Also, colored Curacao is not a new thing. The Cafe Royal Cocktail Book mentions many colors used to spruce up drinks. Even a very intriguing green curacao!
Margaritas traditionally use triple sec. I can see how curacao would overpower the tequila and we wouldn’t want to upset Mr. Fandrich, so I stick with triple sec made by Bols. The Dutch company created orange liqueurs so I trust them, and even though a ton of early margarita recipes call for Cointreau by name I find it too overpowering in both alcohol and sweetness.
The next ingredient is of course fresh squeezed lime juice. I have no idea why margarita mix became a thing but nowhere in my research have I found any recipe calling for sweet and sour or lemon/lime sugar abominations. It’s grossly over sweet and I see the only use for it as to cover up the horrible flavor of those bad tequilas we discussed earlier with Jason.
Pst! Pst, c’mere! Okay, okay. Don’t tell anyone you heard this from me, but in the rare case you have to make a large party batch or bring something to a party for people you don’t really care about impressing, Tres Agaves actually makes a decent organic margarita mix with lime and agave. But under no circumstances would I even place any bottle of mix in the vicinity of my Cuestión Tequila.
Which leaves us with our final ingredient. Until recently I would not even have considered agave nectar a true ingredient in a margarita. Just some ploy by hipster mixologists to “put their twist” up an already perfect drink. I hate when people “put their twist” on things. When I order something, that’s the thing I want and I expect it to taste and look like it’s supposed to. I digress, the triple sec is all the sweet you need. Why add a syrup? But, the overwhelming acceptance by some of the world's leading Margarita experts (why am I not a part of that group, ahem), has me capitulating that agave nectar has a place in the margarita. But, I don’t have to like it.
Don't be fooled by the term nectar. Agave nectar is simply a sugar syrup made from agave sap. It’s actually a pleasant substitute for simple in some drinks. As long as it’s 100% organic any brand will suffice. It adds an earthy note with sweet smokiness.
Though the Margarita is pretty straight forward, I did not take this recipe research inconsequentially. I painstakingly tasted an untoward amount of tequila based tipples. Truly under the auspice of diligence. A fraction too much triple sec hides the tequila, a bit heavy on the agave and we end up with an over sweetened beach drink, not enough lime and the whole balance of tartness goes askew. I get all verklempt just thinking about it.
Today we’ve narrowed it down to 3 recipes. The perfect plain Margarita, Margarita with agave, and frozen margarita. Knowing how strongly I feel about Margaritas I must tell you up front, these are not suggestions, this is how you make Margaritas. (Just kidding, but not really).
Number one. My all time favorite drink. The perfection.
2oz Blanco Tequila (Cuestión)
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
¾oz Triple Sec (Bols)
Shake with ice and pour into a rocks glass. That’s it. Keep ‘em coming and goodnight. Now, if you want a bit more complexity.
2oz Blanco or Reposado Tequila
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
½oz Triple Sec
1tsp Agave Nectar
You can go up to ¼oz agave if you want sweeter.
Lastly, don’t sleep on the frozen Marg! It definitely has a place in our pantheon of pours. Remember, for frozen drinks a good blender makes the difference and NEVER use a frozen marg mix. Simply blend:
2oz Tequila
1oz Triple Sec
1½oz Lime Juice
½oz Agave Nectar
1 cup Crushed Ice
Notice the upping of ingredient amounts to break through the ice.
But wait, we do have a special recipe. Our friend and tequila expert Jason Fandrich of Cuestión Tequila gave us his personal favorite recipe to try out. It plays a bit off something I learned while sipping tequila and mezcal under a starry Mayan sky beside the ocean with my fiance. That is, using a slice of orange in lieu of lime when drinking tequila. Jason prefers reposado. That’s tequila aged 9 months. He uses Tennessee whiskey barrels as an homage to his home state. From his recipe he omits orange liqueur all together so to emphasize, not hide, the tequila flavors.
2oz Cuestión Reposado Tequila
¾oz Fresh Lime Juice
½oz Orange Juice
¼oz Agave
Real quick let’s cover salt. Personally I don’t need it but there’s nothing wrong with it. Salting the rim of a Margarita is part of the heritage of the experience. Just make sure you get good salt or for a spicy twist use Tajin.
This has been an amazing dive into a drink that runs the incredible diasporic gamut from Mexican culture, up through Tex-Mex twists, flowing across the panhandle down my tropical home state, and finally out into the paradismal Caribbean. Is there anyone who doesn’t know the Margarita? Is there another drink that so embodies the tropical vibe? So imbues such a feeling of tranquility over the imbiber? Created as a drink for tourists, using a traditionally Norteamericana spirit, catapulted across the world and made into an empire by Jimmy Buffett, what else can I say. The Margarita is the perfect drink.
Sources: cuestionspirits.com, diffordsguide.com, alcademics.com article by Camper English, vinepair.com, Potions of the Caribbean by Jeff Berry, imbibe.com