The exact origin of the margarita is unclear, and there are many stories and legends about how the drink came to be. However, the oldest known recipe for a margarita is generally believed to be the “Margarita Chacón” recipe, which dates back to the 1930s.
The Margarita Chacón recipe is named after a socialite named Margarita Sames, who is said to have invented the drink in 1948 at her Acapulco vacation home. However, the recipe itself predates Sames’ creation by several years.
The recipe is believed to have been created by a bartender named Carlos “Danny” Herrera, who worked at a bar in Tijuana, Mexico called Rancho La Gloria. According to legend, a customer asked Herrera to make a drink with tequila, but she found the taste too harsh. Herrera experimented with various ingredients, and eventually came up with a combination of tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau or triple sec. He named the drink after a beautiful customer who was a frequent visitor to the bar.
The Margarita Chacón recipe is as follows:
1 ounce tequila
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce Cointreau
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.
This recipe has since been modified and adapted in countless ways, but the Margarita Chacón remains an important part of margarita history.
