Margarita vs. Margarita

Let's have a Margarita!!

But wait, what am I talking about? Am I saying, "Let's have a drink" or "Let's eat a pizza" or maybe both? Maybe I'm saying, "Let's drink margaritas while eating a margarita pizza!"

Beginning on the most basic level, a margarita drink is a mixture of tequila, triple sec, and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the rim of the glass. You can have crushed ice, cubed ice, or some places will make it like a slushy. You can buy margarita mixes at the store if you don't feel like squeezing fresh, but to my tastes those pre-made mixtures are always too sweet.

Now that we have our drink, what about the pizza? The margarita pizza (sometimes spelled margherita) is a subclass of the Neopolitan pizza and in it's basic form it's made with tomato, sliced mozzarella (not shredded), basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

So why the similar names on two very different items? They share no ingredients. They don't have a similar food theme. One was not created to compliment the other.

It's no surprise that the answer lies in their origins.

The drink was born south of the US-Mexican border. At least five different areas claim it as their invention, and more than a few entertaining anecdotes are used as "proof" to back-up their claim, none seem any more credible than another. Experts though all tend to agree that the drink was probably invented sometime between 1900 and 1930.

The pizza can trace its origins back to Italy where its age is indeterminable but definitely older than the drink. The margarita pizza was the basis on which all other pizzas were based. For the true pizza scholar, this is the pizza you must try if you wish to call yourself a pizza connoisseur.

As I searched for anything else that might explain why these two completely separate items might share the same name, I could only think of one thing - I associate both of them with a beautiful day spent outdoors, relaxing and just enjoying the sun.

Think I can talk The Boss into joining me? Yeah, I think so too.

Until Next Time...
I leave you with two videos - a video on how to make a Margarita pizza (this man makes a beautiful pizza!!), and while that cooks mix yourself a tasty Margarita drink to pass the time.

Margaritaly Yours,
Michael