National Margarita Day in Key West
February 22nd is National Margarita Day, and you could hardly find a better place to celebrate than Key West. Though not invented in Key West, the popular tropical drink certainly owes a lot to the town’s adopted son Jimmy Buffett and his 1977 top ten hit “Margaritaville.” Not surprisingly, Buffett has a chain of restaurants with that very same name, with the flagship location at 500 Duval Street in Key West. Of course, there are plenty of places to celebrate National Margarita Day in Key West, both on and around Duval Street, with each putting their own unique spin on the drink.
The story of who invented the margarita, and where it was first concocted, is the stuff of legend. Most agree that it probably originated in Mexico, though the exact location remains disputable. Some say Mexico City, while others claim it was halfway between Tijuana and Rosarito, Mexico. Ensenada, Mexico and even Galveston, Texas are sometimes cited as the margarita’s home. As for the name? No one knows for sure. Depending on what tale you believe, it was named for a friend of the bartender who first mixed it, the daughter of the German ambassador to Mexico, a Ziegfeld dancer, or singer Peggy (Margaret) Lee. The stories are fun to hear, but you certainly don’t need to know who invented the margarita, or where it was first mixed, to be able to enjoy one on National Margarita Day in Key West.
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