It’s hard to say definitively who created the margarita, Mexico’s classic Tequila sour that has become one of the most beloved cocktails in the world. Stories of its origin are as numerous as the variations of the drink.

One story claims that the drink was created in 1938, as Mexican restaurant owner Carlos (Danny) Herrera mixed it for gorgeous Ziegfeld showgirl Marjorie King. Supposedly, Tequila was the only alcohol that King would abide, so Herrera added lime juice and salt.

Other claims include that Texas socialite Margaret Sames (a k a Margarita) mixed the first drink at a house party in Mexico during 1948. Or maybe it was named for actress Rita Hayworth (whose real name was Margarita Casino) during a gig in Tijuana in the 1940s.

In his book, Imbibe, cocktail historian David Wondrich agrees that the margarita was invented during the above timeframe. He says that the drink evolved from The Daisy, a classic cocktail popular at the time that mixed alcohol, citrus juice and grenadine, and served over shaved ice.

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