Tequila Daisy

Aperitivo/aperitif · Classic/vintage · Sours (citrus)

4.2 47 ratings

Ingredients

How to make

Flavour profile

18.1% alc./vol. · 1.4 standard drinks · 172 calories

History

Orange curaçao and grenadine balance lemon juice in this tequila Daisy.

The Daisy is a generic name for a family of cocktails that dates back to Victorian times. These drinks are characterized by citrus juice, sweetened with syrup or liqueur, and a base spirit – in this case, tequila. It is plausible that Margarita, the Spanish word for 'daisy', is so named because a Margarita cocktail is essentially a Tequila Daisy. The first published recipe for a Daisy appears in Jerry Thomas' 1876 second edition of his Bar-Tender's Guide. He provides the full recipe for a Brandy Daisy, followed by recipes for a Whisky Daisy, Gin Daisy, and Rum Daisy, with the base spirit altered accordingly. The initial Daisy recipe combines the spirit (brandy) with gum syrup, orange cordial (liqueur), and lemon juice, shaken with ice and strained into a glass, then topped with seltzer water from a syphon. By 1910, both editions of Jacob Abraham's Jack's Bar Manual, published that year, feature numerous Daisy recipes, with raspberry syrup replacing gum syrup. Tequila was not widely known outside of Mexico until Prohibition caused it to be smuggled into the US, thus introducing it to the Daisy. The first specific mention of a Tequila Daisy is found in the Moville Mail newspaper on July 23, 1936 (pg. 4, cols. 1-3), in an article titled "Graham's Sightseeing." James Graham, the newspaper's editor and owner, recounts his visit to Tijuana and Agua Caliente, Mexico. "When we parked, the driver told us of places of interest that are now not so interesting as in the days of Prohibition in the States. Then there were 150 bars open, now there are nine. One of these is run by an Irishman named Madden. The driver had told us of his skill in mixing drinks. One of his inventions has given his saloon the name of 'The Home of the Famous Tequila Daisy.' As a newspaper man seeking information, I entered the joint and told Mr. Madden my curiosity was aroused regarding The Daisy. He was not as talkative as his prototype, Mr. Dooley, but I imagine he looks like that gentleman, the creature of the imagination of the late Peter Finlay Dunne. After a while he told me The Daisy was not an invention, as no skill was employed in its creation, it was a mistake. 'In mixing a drink I grabbed the wrong bottle and the customer was so delighted that he called for another and spread the good news far and wide,' said Mr. Madden." Shortly after, in the August 19, 1936 edition of the Syracuse Herald (pg. 24, col. 3), an advertisement for Leo Lighter and His All-Girl Band mentions "Syracuse's newest and refreshing drink Tequila Daisy." The advertisement also promises "Eddie Vanzill," the "Dancing Waiter," as an "Added Attraction," in addition to Leo Lighter and His All-Girl Band and Tequila Daisies. The earliest known recipe for a Tequila Daisy does not appear until 1958 in A Book of Appetizers by Helen Evans Brown, included as a footnote to a Guacamole recipe. TEQUILA DAISY: Shake vigorously with ice: 4 ounces of tequila, and 1 ounce each of lemon juice, grenadine, and charged water. Strain into chilled cocktail glasses. You may add sugar if you like, but grenadine is pretty sweet. TEQUILA DAISY ½ ounce grenadine Juice of 1 lime 1½ ounces tequila Club soda Shake grenadine, lime juice, and tequila with ice cubes. Strain into a goblet one-third filled with shaved ice. Fill glass with chilled soda.