February 22 is National Margarita Day! A day to celebrate the official drink of having fun – it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, and that’s never truer than on National Margarita Day.

“A MARGARITA WITHOUT COINTREAU IS NOT WORTH ITS SALT.” Margaret Sames, 1948

Margaret “Margarita” Sames, a wealthy American socialite known for hosting notoriously lavish parties with extravagant twists, created a new cocktail for one of her soirées by mixing two of her favourite spirits: tequila and Cointreau, a liqueur crafted using sweet and bitter orange peel essences. An immediate success, the drink came to be known as a “margarita” and has gone on to become a staple in bars and homes alike.

A margarita consists of tequila, orange liqueur (Cointreau), and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. It can be served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up) and it is traditionally served in a margarita glass – your classic cocktail glass or champagne coupe (although it has become acceptable to serve a margarita in wine, tumbler or pint glasses).