Celebrating National Margarita Day

Yes, since Austin is the city in which Jimmy Buffet wrote “Margaritaville,” of course we’re going to party a little extra-heartily on Tuesday, February 22. We’ll even go so far as to use “party” as a verb and feel no remorse about doing that.

Howdy there, Hopdoddy

And this is Austin, Texas, so we've got a, um, we've got a plethora of options. Let's take a little glimpse of the tequila-stained landscape and ballpark up a viable Schedule of Mafficking ...

One of the things we’re definitely gonna do is stop by Hopdoddy. We usually go there because the local company’s worthy of hometown pride and their burgers are so damn good it makes us wanna kick a hole through some drywall. But we’ll be there on National Margarita Day because all Hopdoddy locations will be giving away four-ounce versions of their Doble Fina margarita (made with Monte Alban Silver Tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice and agave, shaken and served over ice). Yes, all guests over the age of 21 will be handed this classic cocktail as soon as they walk through the restaurant’s doors – no purchase necessary.

PleaZed to meetcha, Z'Tejas

And we’ll tell ourselves that we’re going to Z’Tejas on W. Sixth because they’re charging half-price on all tequila (including margs, natch) that day and featuring a Black Diamond Margarita – which is a 16-ouncer, made with a unique-to-Z’Tejas Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila in a commemorative take-home tumbler whose rim’s been dipped in black lava sea salt. We’ll tell ourselves that’s why we’re going, instead of admitting that we’re pretty much addicted to the new winter menu’s Seared Ahi Tuna Salad and its abundance of mixed greens topped with blacked tuna in a mango soy glaze and finished with fresh avocado, green onion, rainbow carrots, roasted corn relish, and tortilla strips. Mmmmmm, tell you what.

Trudy's Del Mar, your oysters are *chef's kiss*

Being a little less brainy than, say, the late Stephen Hawking, we’re still trying to figure out why Trudy’s wants you to know that they’ll be offering their Mexican Martini and Build Your Own Martini Bar for $5.99 on … no, wait, hold up. We do know why: They want you to boggle at the cheap price and indulge yourself there anyway, even if it’s not with an actual margarita for National Margarita Day, right? How terribly off-topic, Trudy’s! Such unmitigated corporate temerity! But at least the local chain’s new seafood-centric eatery on South Congress – Trudy’s Del Mar – will be serving a Margarita Jalapeño Mignonette for National Margarita Day. This holiday-specific dish, created by chef Thomas Malz, includes fresh Blue Point and Malpeque oysters, margarita and jalapeño mignonette served with flamed Mezcal cocktail sauce, corn tortilla oyster crackers, and charred lemon. Ooooh, yeah, our personal lemons are getting charred just thinking about it.

(Also note, if you will, that similarly Tex-Mex-inflected Chuy’s is serving up all-day drink specials for dine-in customers, where $2 extra will make any regular House Rocks or Frozen ’Rita a Grande – and you get to keep the commemorative cup.)

And, before we bid a slightly tipsy adieu, let’s not forget the joys of partying at home – with your most significant other(s) or your whole crowd of affable comrades. And you certainly don’t need one of those frozen margarita machines to do this day up right, n’est-ce pas? (Margaritas, as you’re likely aware, didn’t start out as adult-beverage Slurpees.)

No, all you need for the classic cocktail is a good supply of orange liqueur, lime juice, and – most of all – tequila. We’re mighty partial to Paula’s Texas Orange in these parts; and we squeeze our own limes by hand, thank you very much; and lately we’ve got a hankering for the crystalline goodness of Milagro Tequila, a spirit made from blue agave grown in the Jalisco highlands of Mexico and slow-roasted in traditional brick ovens for an average cooking time of 36 hours to bring out the freshness and flavors.

Hell, one of our favorite new tipples – sure to honor National Margarita Day all good and proper – eschews the orange liqueur for a more modern and fizzy twist. Yes, it’s the …

MARGARITA MINERALIZADA:

Ingredients:
2 parts Milagro Silver
1/2 part agave nectar
1 part fresh lime juice
La Croix lime, coconut, or grapefruit

Prep: Pour all ingredients except soda into a shaker. Shake and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass with a salted rim. Top with that La Croix and garnish with a lime wheel.

Note: We don’t have to wait until February 22, citizen. We can enjoy this cocktail and others – and even pure shots of Milagro, when the mood takes us – any day of the year.