Back in 2002 or thereabouts I was annoyed by a lengthy article in the Orlando Sentinel that purported to document the origin of the popular Mexican cocktail, the Margarita. The story listed several possible etymologies for the drink, none of which was very accurate. Just recently I found a web site discussing the same issue, this time giving credit to a bartender at Hussong’s Cantina in Ensenada back in the 40’s. Although Hussong’s did figure into the dispersion of the recipe, the author of this account, based in part on Ensenada tourist bureau propaganda, is no better informed than the Sentinal author; he even has Percy Hussong’s name wrong. The reason I am miffed by all these accounts is because I know the true story of the origin of the Margarita: my parents were there to witness it.
The attached scan of an original document written and signed by my parents captures most of the salient facts about the origin of and philosophy behind the Margarita. I will add some editorial commentary that will fill in some of the gaps and add detail. I’ve also included some pictures of a 2003 visit to La Gloria where it all took place. It features my folks and me as we surveyed the Margarita’s Ground Zero.
My parents have a hard time putting an exact date on the first Margarita experience. Their usual barometer in such matters was the date of their marriage, which took place in 1951. The trip in question was one of many that they took south of the border, some before and some after their nuptials. Their best guess is that this particular event took place before they were married, and therefore in 1950.
The author of the Orlando newspaper article did say one version credited a Tijuana bartender, and this is to some extent true, as La Gloria is the first civilization of any sort south of Tijuana. My parents knew every bar and bartender in Baja, so it was only natural that thirst would preclude a trip from Tijuana all the way to Rosarita Beach, let alone Ensenada, some 68 miles distant. Today, La Gloria is actually a small town nestled amongst the junkyards (Yonqueria) festooning the hilltops south of Tijuana. The motel itself was, in 2003, intact, yet condemned and under the ownership of the Catholic Church. The owner, the actual inventor of the Margarita, was named Daniel Herrera, and he had died some five years earlier. Apparently his will stipulated that the property be given to the church. When we visited, we had to appeal to the groundskeeper to let us through a locked gate, and we went on to visit the very dilapidated building and grounds. Five years of neglect and vandalism had reduced the historic site to the status of a scraper, but we were able to seize a few loose mementos and take pictures. The bar itself is gone, but its former location can be discerned by studying the tile on the floor. Gloria, by the way, was the name of Daniel’s daughter. Margarita, of course, was his wife’s name. Thus, both wife and daughter have been immortalized by the place and the drink.
The drink itself was concocted as follows. A small, shallow cocktail glass was moistened and the rim salted. It was then filled with ice, a shot of tequila, lime juice and some Curacao to add sweetness. Note well: it was not green, and the ice was not shaved. No Cointreau, Triple Sec or Grand Marnier were used, although these closely resembles Curacao.
My mother adds this detail about the subsequent popularization of the drink. When they went to Hussong’s in Ensenada, the staff knew nothing of the new drink. They took it upon themselves to relate the recipe, and asked that Margaritas be made on the spot. They then went back to Santa Monica where my mother lived, and took another trip south two weeks later. When they returned to Hussong’s, a new sign proclaimed “We serve Margaritas.” Thus, their trip to Hussong’s introduced drink at the epicenter of recreational drinking in Baja California, to spread from there to a grateful world.
My Dad died in the summer of 2005, full of life and energy at the age of 94. Happily, Margaritas had nothing to do with his demise. Mom’s still going strong at 90, and recalls the events described herein with great clarity. Should all history be so well documented!