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Drink a Sad Toast to the Frozen Margarita

By Darryl Beeson

North Texans were dismayed to read in The Dallas Morning News that Saturday, October 4th, was the last day of operation for birthplace of the frozen Margarita,  Mariano's Mexican Cuisine in Old Town shopping center. The space is to be be torn down to make way for a Petsmart store.

"I have no hard feelings," says founder Mariano Martinez. "The landlord helped me to achieve the great American dream of owning my own business, taking a chance on me when I was 26 years old with no money or management experience. I was lucky that they would sign a lease with me in their brand new shopping center." This first restaurant grew into his ownership of multiple Tex-Mex establishments  throughout North Texas.

Martinez opened his namesake restaurant with $500 and a loan from the Small Business Administration on May 1, 1971, for an initial investment of $116,000. The restaurant made a profit the second month in business. Mariano proudly displayed a proclamation from the state of Texas attesting to the fact that he invented the frozen margarita in the summer of 1971. He had gotten the idea from the "Slurpee" machines at a local 7-Eleven convenience store. He then modified a soft-serve ice cream machine to concoct his tasty innovation.

Phil Farco, bar supervisor then at The Hackberry Creek Country Club revealed years later, in the July/August 1998 issue of Private Clubs Magazine, something that all busy bartenders realize. "The first rule of bartending is 'the blender’s always broken' just because of the mess and the inconsistency of the drinks." The reassignment of the "Slurpee" machine to the more relevant task of Margarita making brought about reliable consistency. The thick slushy texture of a frozen margarita from a high-powered club blender can be difficult to reproduce with a home blender. Pros recommend purchasing fruit juices and nectars and freezing them in ice cube trays, then substituting them for ice in the drink. Another tip is to divide the frozen margarita recipe into two batches, freezing one as you swirl the other in the blender with ice.

"Remember it’s the tequila that makes your margarita special," explains Dallas based beverage writer Renee Hopkins. "Keep tequila in the freezer for icier, less diluted drinks (and also for making nonfrozen margaritas), and use fruit-infused tequila for more flavor. Also, try freezing ripe, fresh seasonal fruits and adding them to your frozen margaritas to produce an icy drink without diluting the flavor. A few possibilities might be peeled and sliced fresh mangoes, peaches, pineapples, melon balls, whole strawberries and kiwis, and bananas."

The correct glass for serving any margarita is long-stemmed glass and rimmed in salt. Chill the long-stemmed glass by rinsing them and placing stem side up in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Pour coarse salt on a napkin or in a saucer. Hold the glass upside down, and run a slice of lime around the rim. Lightly encrust the rim of the glass in the salt, shaking off any excess salt. "When recipes call for you to shake, cover the glass with a stainless steel shaker half-filled with ice, then shake," advise Hopkins. "And remember, the more you shake, the more you infuse the ice with the drink."

Margaritas figure importantly in the reporting of the Dallas Morning News. Business editor Scott Burns has received much publicity for his margarita derived savings plan. "This is not s a lifetime savings project. Not  relentless drudgery. Just put aside $167 a month for somewhere between 12 and 20 years when you are young and you'll have a cool million at 65. That calculates out to about the price of a margarita a day. So if you can miss one margarita a day, you can be a millionaire. Easier said than done, of course," concludes Burns. This is based upon a relatively conservative long-term interest rate of 9%.

Texas political types have been the recipients of late night TV monologue jokes in recent months. For a positive example of the right-thinking quality of the Texas Senate, go to www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/77R/billtext/SR00939F.HTM to read a resolution (May 10, 2001) in honor of the 30-year anniversary of Martinez' inventing the frozen margarita. One should note that some of these same well-grounded thinkers form the Texas Senate, when running for the border to avoid crucial voting, selected New Mexico on their second, highly publicized exodus. Previously the destination was Oklahoma. Obviously the margaritas are better in New Mexico.

Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine values. In the past, he has been wine steward or cellar master for The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Voltaire, and The Adolphus Hotel. Not one for stuffiness or secret handshakes relative to wine, this Texan might now be described as a "ki-yi-yippee sommelier, sommelier." Beeson reports on wine, spirits, food and travel for numerous publications.

 1-1                ****** NEED TWO-PAGE HEADER ******

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 939

 1-3           WHEREAS, On May 10, 2001, the invention of the frozen

 1-4     margarita and margarita machine will be commemorated at the

 1-5     establishment where they were invented and first came to fame

 1-6     30 years ago, Mariano's Mexican Cuisine in Dallas; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, This delicious beverage was created in 1971 by

 1-8     Mariano Martinez, who was determined to develop a cold, tasty

 1-9     alcoholic beverage of consistently high quality that could be

1-10     made in a short amount of time; he and a friend, Frank Adams,

1-11     experimented with his father's recipe and modified a soft-serve

1-12     ice cream machine, and the result has been legendary; and

1-13           WHEREAS, In creating the frozen margarita, Mr. Martinez

1-14     has enhanced the reputation of the City of Dallas as a community

1-15     of great taste and innovation and earned the gratitude of margarita

1-16     fans everywhere who continue to enjoy this classic drink three

1-17     decades after its invention; now, therefore, be it

1-18           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

1-19     77th Legislature, hereby celebrate the 30th anniversary of the

1-20     invention of the frozen margarita and margarita machine and

 2-1     commend Mariano Martinez for his timeless achievement; and, be

 2-2     it further

 2-3           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be

 2-4     prepared for Mr. Martinez as an expression of high regard by the

 2-5     Texas Senate.

 2-6                                                              Carona

 2-7                                  ______________________________________

 2-8                                          President of the Senate

 2-9                                       I hereby certify that the above

2-10                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

2-11                                  on May 4, 2001.

2-12                                 ______________________________________

2-13                                          Secretary of the Senate

2-14                                 ______________________________________

2-15                                           Member, Texas Senate

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