This year, we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Margarita with our friends at Cointreau. The Margarita is one of the most beloved classic cocktails to ever be shaken into existence.
Celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Margarita
Since 1849, the Cointreau family has been distilling its highly celebrated flagship product that is the perfect blend of both bitter and sweet orange peels and a favorite of bartenders around the globe. Although it is a key ingredient in so many drinks, it is the Margarita that might be the most famous if classic Cointreau cocktails.
Back in 1948, the original Margarita was first crafted at the request of Dallas socialite, Margarita Sames. While entertaining at her vacation home in Acapulco, Sames wanted to create a signature cocktail for the festivities combining her two favorite spirits: Cointreau and tequila.
One of her guests, Tommy Hilton, of the famed Hilton Hotel family, put the cocktail on menus at his properties. And hence the Margarita was born!
Although there are several versions behind the true origin of the Margarita and hundreds of riffs on it over the years, one thing is sure, using Cointreau in your recipe will certainly elevate your cocktail.
Recently, we got to sit down with Alfred Cointreau, Sixth Generation of the Cointreau family, at Leyenda in Brooklyn to talk about Margarita’s legacy. Alfred is the Global Heritage Manager and is tasked with maintaining his family’s legacy and just released a book documenting his Cointreau travels called, “Night-time Walks.”
When talking about the Margarita, Alfred said of the iconic drink, “Cointreau is a French liqueur and Tequila is a Mexican spirit and we get the Margarita only when combining these two regions that are completely different. That is why the art of cocktails is so beautiful, you can blend things that may not be connected at the beginning to create magic.”
Join us and the Cointreau family in celebrating the 70th anniversary of this cocktail and the magic of the Margarita by toasting one (or three, responsibly) up on February 22nd for National Margarita Day!
The Original Margarita Recipe
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add ice. Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
For more information, recipes or to find where to buy Cointreau near you, visit: www.cointreau.com
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