The Margarita, one of the most ubiquitous cocktails in the world, was invented where most memorable cocktails are made: at a huge shindig, by its namesake, the American socialite Margaret Sames. Ms. Sames was famous for her lavish parties in Acapulco, Mexico. Her parties were unforgettable (no matter how much her guests drank) because she loved putting extravagant twists on them. At one such party, she mixed her two favorite ingredients, tequila and Cointreau, and added a bit of lime and salt to the rim of the glass. This marriage of Mexican alcohol and French liqueur was such a hit that today, no matter where you go, you can always order a Margarita—even chain restaurants all have their own versions.
Last Cinco de Mayo, to celebrate the 70 years that the world has enjoyed the Margarita, we attended a soirée at The Island that paid homage to that famous party in Acapulco. “Margarita Loves Cointreau” was the theme of the night, lest we forget that “a Margarita without Cointreau is not worth its salt,” as Margaret Sames quipped all those years ago.
Cointreau is an orange-flavoured liqueur created nearly 165 years ago in Angers, France. It’s is one of the most used liqueurs behind the bar and an important ingredient in classic cocktails like the Margarita, the Cosmopolitan, the White Lady, and the Sidecar.
“Margarita became famous because of the quality of Cointreau,” Myke Soon of Rémy Cointreau explained. “Basically, we’re celebrating good cocktails.”
And to celebrate the good cocktail, we were served with the original Margarita:
1 oz/3 ml Cointreau
2 oz/5 ml Cuervo Tradicional Tequila
1 oz/2 ml fresh lime juice
The mix is bright, refreshing, and tangy. As Myke had said, “The best way to enjoy Margarita is using the best ingredients, quality tequila, of course, Cointreau.”
Because it was such a hot Saturday afternoon, slushed Margarita was a much welcome twist to the original.
The Sasithorn Margarita was created by Cedric Cello for the Margarita challenge at the La Maison Cointreau Regional Finals 2016 in Phuket, Thailand. It has everything we love in a Margarita, with a slight savory hint and a pandan note that gives it a Pinoy touch.
What’s a Margarita Sames party in Acapulco without a few party twists?
