By Tahona Society Editorial Team
10 Things you Didn't Know About our Tahona Wheel
Written by
Tahona Society
Published on
Nov 26, 2020
In its 10th year, Drinks Internationalโs Brand Report offers a glimpse into the buying (and selling) by elite bars worldwide.
Bar owners, managers, and drinks directors rank their three bestselling products in various categories of spirits. Winners and short-listers appearing on Drinks Internationalโs โThe Worldโs 50 Best Barsโ list receive global representation.
When indexed, the list creates a snapshot of the worldโs spirit brands in sales. In 2018, for example, Olmeca Altos appeared on both lists (#9 for bestselling and #7 top-trending brands); while the 2019 edition has Altos Tequila listed as bartendersโ favorite brand to make a Margarita with.
Letโs make the most of this momentum and share with our community around the world that our Altos Tequila is the best for preparing Margaritas.
Speaking of Margaritasโฆdid you know that no one knows who invented them? You could say itโs a rather mysterious cocktail. Would you like to know more about its enigmatic history?
One story suggests that the drink was first concocted by Mexican restaurant owner Carlos (Danny) Herrera in 1938 for gorgeous Ziegfeld showgirl Marjorie King. King was allergic to all forms of alcohol except tequila but didnโt like to drink the stuff straight. Herrera supposedly solved the problem by adding salt and lime and creating the worldโs first Margarita.
According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, author of the book Imbibe!, the best guess is that the Margarita as we know and love it evolved from a cocktail known as theโdaisy.โ This, a mix of alcohol, citrus juice, and grenadine served over shaved ice, was popular during the 1930s and 40s. There were gin daisies and whiskey daisies and, eventually, inevitably, tequila daisies, the original recipe for which called for tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and a splash of soda. At some point, this Mexican-influenced daisy became known by its Spanish name, Margarita, which means daisy in Spanish. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Margaritaโmeaning โa cocktail made with tequila and citrus fruit juiceโโfirst appeared in print in English in 1965. Nowadays, there are hundreds of permutations of Margaritas. As of 2008, the Margarita was the most commonly ordered drink in the U.S., accounting for 18 percent of all mixed drink sales.
The New Altos Margaritaโgood and sustainable
The New Altos Margarita earns its place in cocktail bars as the iconic reinterpretation of a classic Margarita! Itโs an open homage to a Tommyโs Margarita, which is a hit in areas where classic Margaritas are already well loved.
We believe it makes for a great drink thatโs also in line with the Altos We Care ethos:
Reusing the rinds of the fruit that were squeezed to get the juice (for this and other drinks) as a garnish may look simple, but it also makes a nice statement that weโre not creating waste to decorate this drink. Giving these rinds a rough chop makes them look nicer and also releases more of the essential oils from the citrus. The drink becomes brighter and more aromatic, and we love the fact that this can also spark conversations at the bar. From awareness comes change.
Also, most Margaritas are strained or double strained, creating ice waste. The New Altos Margarita is briefly shaken and then โdumped,โ meaning that itโs not strained, but rather just emptied with the ice in the glass or cup, reducing ice usage and waste by about 6 cubes(roughly 240 g / 8.46 oz) per drink. Multiplying that by 50 drinks amounts to 12 kilos / 26.45 lbs per day already!
1. Our Margaritaโs inspiration is the Mamaโs Margarita, which was created by Drรฉ Masso in 2006 for the Green & Red Bar and Cantina in East London.
2. Drรฉ was paying homage to one of his favorite tequila cocktails, Tommyโs Margarita, created by Julio Bermejo in the early 90โs.
3. The original Tommyโs is not garnished, but Drรฉ thought that heโd use the rinds of the fruit which, when juiced using a Mexican elbow, would end up turned inside-out.
4. Our Margaritaโopens upโ the recipe so locally-sourced substitutions for both the citrus and sweetener can be made, making it a more sustainable drink that makes sense anywhere you want to prepare it. Pretty cool, huh?
If you choose to use local citruses, opt for those that create the perfect balance between the acidity and sweetness of your cocktail.
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Also, you can use an alternative sweetener for an exciting and sustainable twist, including these:
Finally, we want to share our very best recipe, the New Altos Margarita recipe, one more time
You just need 3 ingredients:
60 ml / 2 parts Altos Plata
a handful of local citrus* (diced)
and 2-3 bar spoons of local honey (to taste)
Preparation
1. Shake vigorously with cubed ice. Dump in tumbler.
2. Garnish with chopped lemon and the lime (rind or peel) you used for the shake.
*Altos recommends the โMexican versionโ with chopped lime and lemon, plus agave syrup as sweetener.