One day after National Hot Dog Day wreaked havoc upon the stomachs of America a new day has come to ruin the nation's livers; July 24 is National Tequila Day.
Tequila is the distilled liquor that is produced from the blue agave plant. Much like champagne tequila has to be produced in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, about an hour outside of Guadalajara, in order to be considered true tequila.
In the U.S. tequila is often consumed in the form of margaritas. Margaritas are deliciously versatile in that they can served frozen or over ice and often have fruit added to them. The classic form of the drink contains tequila, lime juice, and triple sec served in a glass with a salty rim. Like many cocktails many claim to be the one to have invented the drink. Carlos "Danny" Herrera has the most likely claim saying that he invented the drink for his Tijuana based restaurant in 1938, according to the Smithsonian.
While margaritas are wildly popular Fox News had some recipes for tequila cocktails that are lesser known. The Paloma, a sort of lazy man's margarita, is incredibly simple to make. You take 1 ½ ounces of tequila, mix it with 4 ounces of grapefruit soda, add ice and a wedge of lime and you're ready to enjoy.
If you want to get a bit more creative with your tequila cocktail Boozy NYC has a recipe that they call Dobel Spicy Chill. In order to make this you will need 4 basil leaves, 1 Serrano chili, 2 oz. of Maestro Dobel Tequila, ¾ oz. lime juice and ¾ oz. simple syrup. Crack the chili in a glass, add the basil, muddle it all together. Add the mixers and the tequila, shake and strain into a highball glass. Enjoy.
If you are looking to enjoy some tequila but don't feel like doing the work to make your own cocktail there are ample places with specials for National Tequila Day.
Abuelo's restaurants are offering $5.99 premium margaritas all day.
If you live in Miami Herradura Tequila is sponsoring what they call a Traveling Tequila Happy Hour. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. they will be making their way around South Beach offering free and deeply discounted cocktails.
In Chicago Patron's Hacienda will have the Herradura Tequila girls on site from 5 p.m. until close offering up specials and free giveaways.
In the New York area the Village Pour House will be celebrating the holiday with a $10 Sol Beer and shot of tequila special as well as some tequila infused beer cocktails.
Please remember to celebrate National Tequila Day safely and only if you are of age to do so. Also, if anyone tries to get you to eat a worm with your tequila they are trying to trick you. Tequila never comes with a worm in the bottle, that would be a different liquor from the agave plant, mezcal., according to the Straight Dope.
