The First Frozen Margarita Was Made In A Soft-Serve Ice Cream Machine

Fans of Tex-Mex cuisine know the classic margarita is a tried-and-true pairing for food inspired by the Lone Star State and its southern neighbor. It's a fairly simple mix, consisting of a salted rim, lime juice (wedges for garnish), orange liqueur, and tequila. Fortunately, it's also a flexible recipe, allowing for all sorts of substitutions and additions, whether they be sweet, spicy, or sour.

"Margarita" translates to "daisy" in Spanish, which (aside from the flower) refers to an old family of citrusy cocktails that use liqueurs and syrups as sweeteners. The earliest record of a tequila Daisy, in particular, goes back to 1930s Mexico. Shortly afterward, Britain started combining lime juice, orange liqueur, and tequila under the name of "Picador," and only a couple of years after that, New York added salt to the rim. However, the name "Margarita" seems to have not been bestowed upon the beverage until the mid-20th century, though there are contradictory claims to its coinage. Perhaps the greatest event in margarita history, however, came in the early '70s.

What's cooler than a chilly margarita? An ice-cold one, of course! Over half a century ago, though, that concept simply didn't exist yet. So, when Mariano Martinez opened a Dallas restaurant in 1971, he was distraught to hear diners complaining about the warm, watery margaritas they were being served. Looking back, Martinez recalled how his family-recipe margs were at first so popular, the bartender simply couldn't keep up with demand, resulting in low-quality drinks. "I saw my dream evaporating," Martinez told Smithsonian Magazine. "I thought, 'My restaurant will go bust and I've screwed up Dad's formula.'"

Thankfully, not long afterward, inspiration struck when Martinez stopped by a 7-Eleven for a cup of hot coffee. "I saw kids buy a Slurpee," Martinez told NBC. "It's what gave me the idea. I said, 'Hey, I wonder if you could freeze a margarita in a Slurpee type of machine?'" Unfortunately, 7-Eleven refused to sell him such a device. Instead, he bought a soft-serve ice cream machine, pre-mixed the margarita with plenty of sugar to slush it, and proved the concept was possible. "All the bartender had to do was open the spigot," Martinez explained to Smithsonian.

That practice quickly caught on, spreading throughout the food service industry. This was in large part due to the mass-produced nature of frozen margaritas. Recently, even to-go margs have become popular, and many retailers now sell frozen margarita mix for use at home.

The time-honored tradition of a frozen margarita is alive and well. Mariano's Hacienda — the restaurant where frozen margaritas were first unveiled — is still open, and there are a handful of sister sites spread across the Dallas area. "Texas ranch cuisine," as the business refers to it, is cooked up there on mesquite log-fired grills. Aside from margs, these establishments also offer beef, chicken, fish, salsa, and veggies all in the Texan style. As for the original frozen margarita machine itself, that was loaned to the Smithsonian back in 2005.

Similarly, if you're looking to take a trip down memory lane, you can walk Dallas' Margarita Mile. This route (actually a handful of miles wide) includes more than two dozen bars and restaurants serving up some of the city's best margarita mixes. Visit enough of them, and tourists can even earn a marg-themed sticker and T-shirt. Naturally, the Margarita Mile includes Mariano's Hacienda, respectfully recognizing its contribution to Dallas and marg culture at large.