Such an iconic drink is going to have a few glitzy origin stories.
There are claims that it was named after a Spanish dancer who was allergic to all spirits except tequila. What’s much more likely is that it is simply a Spanish translation of Daisy, a class of cocktails very popular around the time the Margarita came on the scene in the 1930s. Daisies are essentially Sours (so always contain citrus), but with a liqueur or flavoured syrup as the sweetener rather than just sugar syrup, and are generally topped up with soda water (club soda). That tourists might have made their way across the southern US border and requested a Daisy, and an obliging Mexican bartender mixed one up for them with tequila is not hard to imagine!
INGREDIENTS
- 60 ml blanco tequila
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml curaçao or other orange liqueur
- Served up (no ice)
- Garnish: salt rim
EQUIPMENT
- Glassware: coupe or Martini glass
- Jigger
- Shaker tin
- Hawthorne strainer
- Fine strainer
METHOD
- Use a lime wedge to wet the edge of your glass and dab in salt, shaking o_ any excess.
- Add all the ingredients to your shaker tin and shake.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP: While a salt rim is non-negotiable, I like to only rim half the glass so that the drinker can control how much or how little to take in with each sip.
Would you like to know more? Pick up a copy of Strong, Sweet and Bitter by Cara Devine. Published by Hardie Grant Books, it is available where all good books are sold, RRP $36.99.
