Liquid

A margarita is the ideal summer beverage, a refreshing combination of citrus and salt that helps you de-stress on hose sweltering nights when beer and wine just seem too heavy. But where does the cocktail come from? There're plenty of stories about the history of Jimmy Buffett’s favorite drink, but he most popular is that of bartender Carlos Herrera, who worked at a bar near Tijuana called Rancho La Gloria. Legend has it that, sometime in the 1930s, Herrera invented the now-classic blend of tequila, lime juice, and salt for a young actress named Marjorie King, who didn’t like the taste of tequila. Herrera, taken by the woman’s beauty, wanted to invent a special drink for her that would make tequila more palatable. He tinkered with flavors and proportions, and voilà: the margarita was born.

Another story attributes the margarita to an Acapulco bar owner named Margaret Sames, who was said to hobnob with the hotel and restaurant industry elite. Sames allegedly combined tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and salt for some party guests in the late 1940s, and her friends were so impressed that they helped her introduce the cocktail to their upscale patrons.

Regardless of how and when the cocktail was invented, a good margarita finds the perfect balance between its ingredients so that none of the flavors overwhelm the others. Sadly, too many versions turn the classic drink into a sloppy frozen smoothie for springbreakers. But if you want a truly reverent, thoughtful margarita in Boston, a few locales go above and beyond the mixing basics. Besides balance, the key to any great margarita is the combination of fresh fruit and highquality tequila. Many local bartenders use Herradura, a Mexican tequila that dates to the 1870s and features 100 percent pure agave, a Mexican plant that produces a sweet sap. There are four Herradura tequilas; the most popular, Herradura Silver, is bright, light, and great for mixing.

Margarita purists will enjoy the La Verdad Margarita ($8) at — duh — La Verdad (1 Lansdowne Street, Boston, 617.351.2580). It’s made from Herradura Silver and fresh lime and sweetened with agave nectar. This margarita is subtly sweet and mildly citrusy, balanced with a salty note. Even more refreshing is the Watermelon Margarita ($12), which combines the same ingredients with Midori and housemade watermelon agua fresca. It’s crisp and lightly sweet, tasting indeed like a glass of freshsqueezed watermelon, if you can imagine such a thing. Nibble on a plate of the extraordinary Oaxacan wings ($5.95), six plump chicken wings drenched with a complex mole negro and fresh salsa verde and sprinkled with scallions and cilantro. Thank you, Ken Oringer, for singlehandedly kicking the Buffalo wing in the pantalones.

Watermelon margaritas are en fuego right now, none more literally than the one at Masa (439 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.338.8884). Here, the Habanero Watermelon Margarita ($9) will just about melt your face off (in the most pleasurable way possible). Sauza Gold tequila is infused with habanero chilies and cooled down a few degrees with watermelon purée, lime juice, and Triple Sec. The result is an asskicking, heatpacking pink mouthful that, surprisingly, won’t numb your palate.
Speaking of pink drinks, I’m usually pretty wary of them, thanks especially to the infuriating gender stereotypes that seem to accompany any cocktail with a rosy hue. So when the bartender at Rudy’s Café (248 Holland Street, Somerville, 617.623.9201) plunked down a Prickly Pear Margarita ($7.62) that looked like an exasperated academic had cracked his highlighter pen into it, I was a little nervous. No need. Made from Cuervo Gold, Patron Citrónge (an orange liqueur), and prickly pear juice, this margarita floods your mouth with a rush of salt that quickly dissipates, giving way to a pleasingly fruity finish. Squeeze the lime garnish into your glass to really balance out the flavors and kick the drink up with some citrus notes.

Muddled drinks usually scream “summer,” but chances are you’re already Mojitoed out, and it’s barely the hotweather halfway mark. Instead, check out the Muddled Margaritas ($11) at Olé Mexican Grill (11 Springfield Street, Cambridge, 617.492.4495). Choose from raspberries, strawberries, or mangos for your muddle and watch as the bartender smushes all of that fresh fruit goodness with sugar and a little simple syrup, then adds Herradura Silver, Patron Citrónge, and fresh lime juice. The raspberry version is the picture of tart and velvety smoothness, while the strawberry is highly sweet, fruity, and light and crisp like a ripe berry. If fruit’s not your thing, order up Olé’s version of the classic, the Platinum Margarita ($8.50).

Finally, this season’s hottest ingredient, St. Germain, just keeps getting hotter. The artisanal liqueur, made from elderflowers handpicked in the French alps, is as sweetly sophisticated as its fans, who love it on its own or mixed with other delicate ingredients that mingle harmoniously. Francophiles and Mexicrazies alike will go loco, bien sur, for the margarita with a French twist at Prezza (24 Fleet Street, Boston, 617.227.1577). The St. Germargarita ($12.50) combines the floral elixir with Patron Silver, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar.