national margarita day

It's National Margarita Day

Filed under: Spirits

I'm not entirely sure why National Margarita Day falls in February. I'd much prefer it in a warmer more margarita friendly month. But there's never really a wrong time to enjoy a margarita. The traditonal margarita has tequila, triple sec and lime juice although you can get a good bartender argument going about the exact ratios of the ingredients. You could also start quite a spirited discussion about the origin of the margarita. The consensus seems to be that it emerged in Mexico sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s but there's no definitive story. Personally I like the one that has it named after Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Cansino).

Margaritas and guacamole are a perfect combination but have you ever thought about putting the two together? The Guacarita has tequila, agave nectar, lime juice and cilantro. It's never going to replace the margarita in popularity but it's definitely different. Other unique margarita add-ins include pineapple, cucumbers, a cilantro simple syrup and chiles. Chile peppers seem to be a big story in margaritas lately. Just as chile and chocolate have made it into the mainstream, so too jalapeno and tequila have suddenly become more popular together. And a jalapeno margarita has the added bonus of warming you up. There are a couple of ways to make a jalapeno margarita. You can buy a pepper-infused tequila (Tanteo makes a great one), you can infuse your own tequila by allowing chiles to set in tequila for several days and then remove them or you can try a recipe like this one that uses a pureed chile.

Should your margarita leanings take you in a less adventurous direction, try the recipe from Don Julio tequila after the jump.

Tags: cocktails, margarita, national margarita day, NationalMargaritaDay