Celebrate National Margarita Day At Guanajuato

Just on the heels of Valentine's day, Guanajuato Contemporary Mexican and Tequila Bar (73 Green Bay Rd., Glencoe, IL 60022; 847-242-0501) in Glencoe is set to celebrate yet another national holiday - National Margarita Day, Wednesday, February 22. The north shore Mexican restaurant is perfectly positioned to pay homage to this great libation. Chef/owner Margarita Challenger is known for making a perfect namesake margarita. Having just introduced their Valentine's specialty, the Raspberry Margarita with Pink Tequila, the restaurant boasts the ability to offer customers custom-made concoctions to suit their tastes, using any of their more than 50 tequilas from which to choose. In addition to traditional margaritas, Guanajuato often offers Mango, Super Fruit Acacia, Spicy Orange and even one made with Tamarind.

Why celebrate?
While it may be a traditionally Mexican drink, the United States is actually the world's top consumer of tequila. Drinking Margaritas is an American national pastime.From brand favorites like Patron, to celebrity favorites like Justin Timberlake's Silver 901, to high-end choices like Asombroso Extra Anejo, Guanajuato knows tequila. Mixed with your favorite fruit on the rocks or blended, the ideal margarita is in your reach. You won't be able to tell whether you're in chilly Illinois or sunny Mexico.Guanajuato is the perfect place to shake the winter blues and relax on a beach with a drink - even if it is imaginary. Happy Margarita Day!

About Guanajuato
Guanajuato Contemporary Mexican and Tequila Bar is a contemporary Mexican restaurant located at 73 Green Bay Rd. in Glencoe, Ill. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days per week. The bar is open Monday-Wednesday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, noon to midnight; and Sunday, noon to 10 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Guanajuato at (847) 242-0909 or online at www.myguanajuato.com.


Guanajuato Margarita Core Ingredients
- Salt, for rimming the glass (optional)
- Ice
- 1 1/2 ounces tequila (blanco, 100 percent agave)
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau (not Triple Sec)
- Optional: blended fresh fruit of your choosing and/or spices like Tamarind

Instructions
1. If using salt, place in a shallow dish. Moisten the rim of a rocks glass with a dampened paper towel, and then dip in salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice; add tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau; add optional fruit pure and/or spices, and stir a few times until chilled. Serve immediately.


About National Margarita Day
There are dozens of people who claim to be the creator of the first margarita drink. One of whom is a bartender named Willie from Mexico City. He says that in 1934 he concocted the drink for his friend, Marguerite Hemery (whom he named the drink after). Salvador Negrete is another man who claims to be the inventor of margaritas. The day before his brother's marriage in 1936, Salvador presented the margarita cocktail as a wedding present to Margarita (his sister-in-law). There are various other stories of the drink's invention, but the true identity of the tequila master remains unknown.While various bartenders claimed credit for the invention of the margarita, it's hard to argue with the woman who gave the drink its name.

This original margarita was not the frozen drink that was the number one mixed drink in America in 2008, according to Cheers On-Premis Handbook. The invention of the frozen margarita took place in the 1970s, when an intrepid bartender converted a soft-serve ice cream machine into a margarita mixer. A legend was born.

Today, the majestic margarita ranks as one of America's favorite drinks. The U.S. is actually the world&#