Margarita（マルガリータ）
Tequila, lime, orange — salt on the rim and the border in a glass.
01Recipe
Recommended recipe
House spec — an editorial spec drawing on the sourced versions below.
| Ingredient | Measure |
|---|---|
| Tequila blanco | 50 ml |
| Orange liqueur (Cointreau) | 20 ml |
| Fresh lime juice | 15 ml |
Total volume (pre-dilution)
3.3 : 1.3 : 1
- 01
Rub a lime wedge over half the rim; dip in salt.
- 02
Shake all ingredients hard with ice.
- 03
Strain into the chilled glass. Serve up, or over fresh ice.
Garnish — Salt rim (half) · lime wheel
02Taste profile
- Sweetness
- 52Moderate
- Sourness*
- 67Strong
- Bitterness
- 20Light
- Fruitiness
- 55Moderate
- Herbal*
- 0Faint
- Alcohol
- 58Moderate
- Crisp
- 75Strong
Independent editorial scores, 0–100. *Estimated from the ingredient list — a profile sketch, not a verdict.
03History
The origin is contested — Tijuana, Acapulco, or Texas, 1938–1953, with at least four credible claimants. The earliest printed recipe appears in the 1953 Esquire. 'Margarita' is Spanish for daisy, and a Tequila Daisy is documented decades earlier.
Post-war America made it a phenomenon; the 1971 invention of the frozen Margarita machine in Dallas made it a commodity. The blended, syrupy restaurant version is what most people think the drink is.
Made properly — blanco tequila, fresh lime, real orange liqueur, salt by request — it is a sour of extreme clarity. Tommy's in San Francisco proved the point further: drop the liqueur, add agave.
Origin contested — the entry keeps verified record and received legend distinct.
Sources — IBA Official Cocktails · David Wondrich, Esquire archive
04Recipe versions
Each version is shown exactly as recorded in its source — unverified claims are flagged.
- IBA Official Cocktails
International Bartenders Association · iba-web-current · Official
- Tequila Blanco50 ml
- Triple Sec20 ml
- Lime Juice15 ml
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. — Half salt rim (Optional).
- The classic 3:2:1 spec
Contemporary canon · 1953 · Reference · unverified
- Tequila3 part
- Triple Sec2 part
- Lime Juice1 part
Shake, strain over ice.
Picante-era California bar ratio — the drink's anchor.
Pick 2 versions to compare — up to 3 on a wider screen
05Variations
- Ingredient swapTommy's MargaritaAgave syrup replaces orange liqueur; Julio Bermejo, San Francisco→
- VariationFrozen MargaritaBlended; invented by Mariano Martinez, Dallas, 1971
- VariationMezcal MargaritaSmoked agave; deeper, drier→
06The map
Ingredients
Spirits
Places
