National Margarita Day: Date, History and How to Celebrate
National Margarita Day is an unofficial food holiday in the United States that celebrates the margarita, the tequila, orange liqueur and lime cocktail. It falls on February 22 every year.
The day is not a government holiday. It began in the late 2000s as one man's idea, and bars and restaurants across the country now mark it with specials. The simplest way to celebrate is to drink a well-made margarita, whether you shake one at home or order one from a bar that squeezes its limes fresh, like the scratch-made margaritas at Mi Casa in Breckenridge.
This post covers the date, who started the day, what a margarita is, where the drink came from, and how to celebrate. It closes with answers to the questions people ask most.
When Is National Margarita Day?
National Margarita Day is February 22. The date is fixed, so it never moves with the calendar, and it lands on a different weekday each year.
- 2027: February 22 (day of the week: Monday)
- 2028: February 22 (day of the week: Tuesday)
- 2029: February 22 (day of the week: Thursday)
- 2030: February 22 (day of the week: Friday)
- 2031: February 22 (day of the week: Saturday)
When the day falls on a weekday, many bars run their specials during happy hour. When it falls on a weekend, expect busier dining rooms and longer waits.
Who Started National Margarita Day?
Todd McCalla is credited with founding National Margarita Day in the late 2000s.
McCalla had two reasons. He disliked the high fructose corn syrup and other additives in cheap commercial margarita mixes. He also chose February on purpose, calling it a sad, gray time of year that a margarita could brighten.
The day has no official sponsor, and no government body recognizes it. It spread the way most food holidays do: bars, restaurants, tequila brands and social media picked it up and kept it going.
What Is a Margarita?
A margarita is a cocktail of tequila, orange liqueur such as triple sec, and fresh lime juice, sometimes sweetened with a little syrup. It can be served on the rocks, straight up or frozen, often in a glass with a salted rim.
The International Bartenders Association sets the official proportions at 10 parts tequila, 4 parts triple sec and 3 parts fresh lime juice. In its reference version that means 50 ml of 100% agave tequila, 20 ml of triple sec and 15 ml of lime juice. Many home recipes use a simpler 2:1:1 ratio. To make a classic margarita at home, with measurements, a salt rim and a pitcher version, see our full recipe.
The name is Spanish for "daisy." That detail matters for the drink's history, below.
The History of the Margarita
Nobody knows for certain who invented the margarita. Several people and bars claim it, and their stories conflict. Most accounts place its creation in Mexico or near the US-Mexico border in the 1930s or 1940s.
The Daisy Theory
Cocktail historian David Wondrich links the margarita to an older drink, the brandy daisy. A daisy was a spirit shaken with citrus and an orange liqueur. Swap the brandy for tequila and you have a margarita, and "margarita" means daisy in Spanish.
A similar recipe also appears in print before most of the origin stories. The Cafe Royal Cocktail Book, published in the UK in 1937, lists a drink called the Picador with the same tequila, triple sec and lime proportions.
The Origin Claims
Each of these stories has supporters. None has been proven.
- Carlos "Danny" Herrera: Rancho La Gloria, near Tijuana (year: 1938; the story: Said he made it for Marjorie King; the San Diego Reader debunked the claim in 1992)
- Jose Cuervo's account: Mexico (year: 1938; the story: A bartender created it to honor Rita de la Rosa)
- Hussong's Cantina: Ensenada (year: 1941; the story: Named for Margarita Henkel Cesena)
- Francisco "Pancho" Morales: Tommy's Place Bar, Juárez (year: July 4, 1942; the story: Often considered the strongest claim)
- Margarita Sames: Her home in Acapulco (year: 1948; the story: A Dallas socialite who served it to guests)
- Santos Cruz: Balinese Room, Galveston (year: 1948; the story: Said to have made it for singer Peggy Lee)
Some of these stories do not survive a close look. Jose Cuervo ran advertisements in 1945 with the slogan "Margarita: It's more than a girl's name." That predates the 1948 Sames story.
The First Published Recipe
The first known published margarita recipe ran in Esquire in December 1953. The magazine named it the Drink of the Month. Its recipe called for 1 ounce of tequila, a dash of triple sec and the juice of half a lime or lemon.
The Frozen Margarita
The frozen margarita came later. Albert Hernandez Sr. reportedly blended one in La Jolla, California, in 1947.
The machine-made frozen margarita is a Dallas story. In 1971, restaurateur Mariano Martinez adapted a secondhand soft-serve ice cream machine for his restaurant, Mariano's Mexican Cuisine. Blending margaritas by hand was slow and inconsistent, and the machine solved both problems. The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History acquired his original machine in 2005.
How the Margarita Became America's Drink
The margarita is now one of the most popular cocktails in the United States and the most popular tequila-based cocktail. Jimmy Buffett's 1977 song "Margaritaville" helped make it a household name. National Margarita Day, decades later, built on that popularity.
How to Celebrate National Margarita Day
You can celebrate at home, at a bar, or both. Here are the most popular ways to mark February 22.
- Shake a classic. Fresh lime juice, a good tequila and a quality orange liqueur make the best case for the drink. McCalla started the day to push back against sugary mixes, so a from-scratch margarita fits the spirit of it.
- Try a style you have never had. Order a Tommy's, a spicy margarita or a smoky mezcal version. Our guide to margarita styles explains each one and how it differs from the classic.
- Host a tequila comparison. Make the same margarita with two or three tequilas and taste them side by side. Learning the difference between blanco, reposado and añejo tequila shows why each changes the drink.
- Upgrade the bottle. If you usually buy whatever is on sale, use the day as an excuse to try a 100% agave tequila. Our notes on picking a tequila worth celebrating can help.
- Plan the food. Margaritas were made for salty, spicy food. A bowl of fresh guacamole and chips is the easy choice, and crispy fish tacos make it a meal.
- Offer a drink without alcohol. Not everyone at the table drinks. A pitcher of cinnamon rice horchata or a zero-proof margarita keeps everyone in the toast.
- Go out to a cantina. Many restaurants run margarita specials on the day. Check happy hour times, since the best prices usually run in the afternoon.
If you are celebrating, pace yourself. One margarita made with 2 ounces of 80-proof tequila already holds more than one US standard drink, which is defined as 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol. At mountain elevations, the CDC advises visitors to avoid alcohol for their first 48 hours at high altitude. Drink water between rounds, and never drive after drinking.
Margarita Food Pairings
Margaritas balance salt, sweet and sour, which makes them easy to pair. These matches work well on National Margarita Day.
- Classic on the rocks: Chips, salsa and guacamole (why it works: Salt and lime cut through rich avocado)
- Spicy margarita: Fish or shrimp tacos (why it works: Heat in the drink lifts mild seafood)
- Mezcal margarita: Grilled steak or carne asada (why it works: Smoke in the glass matches char on the grill)
- Frozen fruit margarita: Spicy chicken tinga or salsa-heavy dishes (why it works: Cold fruit calms chile heat)
- Cadillac (Grand Marnier): Enchiladas with red chile sauce (why it works: Rich orange notes stand up to deep chile flavor)
How to Order a Margarita at a Bar
Ordering a margarita well comes down to four choices. Bartenders hear them all day, so be specific.
- Service: say "on the rocks" for a drink over ice, "up" for a shaken drink strained into a stemmed glass with no ice, or "frozen" for a blended one.
- Rim: ask for salt, half salt, sugar, chile salt or no rim. Half salt lets you choose sip by sip.
- Tequila: name a tequila if you have a favorite. A blanco keeps the drink bright and citrusy, and a reposado adds softer vanilla and oak notes.
- Sweetness: ask for it "less sweet" or with agave instead of orange liqueur if you prefer a drier, more tequila-forward drink.
A good bar will also tell you what is in its house margarita. Ask whether the lime is squeezed fresh, since that single detail changes the drink more than any other.
Other Drink Days to Know
National Margarita Day has company on the drinks calendar. National Tequila Day in July celebrates the spirit itself rather than one cocktail.
The difference is simple. National Margarita Day is about the cocktail. National Tequila Day is about the spirit, whether you sip it neat or mix it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is National Margarita Day a real holiday?
National Margarita Day is a real observance but not an official one. No government created it. Todd McCalla started it in the late 2000s, and bars, restaurants and brands keep it going.
Is National Margarita Day on the same date every year?
Yes. National Margarita Day is always February 22. Only the day of the week changes from year to year.
Who invented the margarita?
No one knows for sure who invented the margarita. Claims point to Tijuana, Ensenada, Juárez, Acapulco and Galveston between 1938 and 1948. The 1942 claim of Francisco "Pancho" Morales in Juárez is often considered the strongest.
When was the frozen margarita invented?
A blended margarita was reportedly made in 1947 in La Jolla, California. The first frozen margarita machine came in 1971, when Mariano Martinez adapted a soft-serve ice cream machine at his Dallas restaurant.
What does "margarita" mean?
"Margarita" is Spanish for "daisy." The name likely points to the brandy daisy, an older drink of spirit, citrus and orange liqueur that the margarita resembles.
What is the difference between National Margarita Day and National Tequila Day?
National Margarita Day, on February 22, celebrates the cocktail. National Tequila Day, in July, celebrates tequila itself. Both are unofficial food and drink holidays.
National Margarita Day at Mi Casa in Breckenridge
At Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, we have been pouring margaritas in Breckenridge since 1981, and every one starts with fresh lime and real tequila instead of premade mix. Our menu runs from The Classic and The Natural with organic agave to the serrano-infused Spicy Natural, the smoky Mango Mezcalita and the Mi Casa Margarita with Casamigos reposado and Grand Marnier. Our bar carries over 100 tequila selections; browse the full bar and tequila list before you come in. During our daily cantina happy hour, from 2 to 5 pm, classic margaritas are $10 and specialty margaritas are $2 off. We are at 600 South Park Ave, steps from the Peak 9 base, and open daily from 11:30 am to 9 pm.
