Many others believe it was named after Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German Ambassador. In this story, bartender Carlos Orozco was experimenting with new cocktails when Margarita visited his cantina. Carlos asked her if she would like to try his latest creation. She was immediately impressed with this refreshing new beverage. Carlos wanted to name his cocktail after the very first person to try it, and thus the margarita was born.

There are many stories about how the margarita was invented. Some believe it was named after Marjorie King, a famous actress and showgirl whose stage name was Rita De La Rosa. The story goes that this captivating woman immediately caught the eye of bartender Don Herrera. Rita loved to drink, but found she was allergic to all spirits apart from tequila.

At the time, tequila was only known to be consumed neat, as a tequila cocktail had yet to be invented. Being a true lady, she feared being seen drinking anything straight. To capture her heart, Don Herrera invented the margarita and named it for her.

There are also many that believe it was named after Rita Hayworth, an American actress, dancer and producer. While Rita was a dancer at The Foreign Club in Tijuana, bartender Enrique Bastate Gutierez invented the drink especially for her. Rita, legally named Margarita Cansino, could not resist a tempting margarita and it soon became her drink of choice.

There are many variations of a daisy cocktail, but the most well-known and original is the Brandy Daisy. The ingredients of a Brandy Daisy are simply Brandy, Orange Liqueur and Lime Juice. Sound familiar?

If our story is to be believed, the margarita was invented by a wonderfully delicious mistake. Reporter James Graham claims he discovered the margarita cocktail when a bar owner mistakenly grabbed a bottle of tequila while trying to make a Brandy Daisy. It should also be noted and come as no coincidence that margarita in English means “daisy.” This mistake has created one of the most popular and beloved cocktails throughout the world.

So, a few might believe this cocktail was invented for a beautiful woman, but we at Tequila Daisy agree with Cuervo’s original slogan...

*MARGARITA*

More Than Just a Girl's Name