I'm not kidding. Seriously, you can look it up.
There's some bone of contention as to where tequila originated, but it is most widely considered a Mexican staple from the early days of the Aztec civilization. Some, though, claim it was a Native American staple from around 200 A.D.
No matter.
The legends surrounding its origin are as colorful as the tales told by those of us who survive our tequila encounters, and we all have at least one tale to tell. The tales are even better when we start adding in the mixer that makes today such a wonderful holiday.
I decide to research this wonderful holiday and discover some interesting things. First of all, there's a website dedicated to National Margarita Day (http://nationalmargaritaday.com/). The site doesn't have a lot of historical information, but it does offer a whole selection of different Margarita options. I'm a bit of a purist -- I prefer the plain old lime-based Margarita, but I don't give one rat's patootie if it's rimmed with sugar or salt.
The Margarita's invention is, like tequila's origins, marked by shady controversy. Most historians agree that the drink was concocted either in 1945 or 1948. Historians do agree that the first frozen Margarita machine was invented in 1971, and that should be the true cause to celebrate, and by "historians" I mean hardcore smart people: An article was published on the Smithsonian's website about the Margarita, and in 2005 the Smithsonian's Museum of American History acquired the original frozen Margarita maker for its display (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-margarita-57990212/?no-ist).So, everybody pretend it's summer today. Mix up the Margarita of your choice, make it frozen or on the rocks, rim it with salt or sugar, add the tequila of your choice (I've discovered that I'm a Milagro girl), and join the whole nation in celebrating another American tradition of having more fun with semi-Mexican holidays than people in Mexico do.
HAPPY NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY, EVERYBODY!
