A Classic Margarita in Bucerias

Being retired does have some benefits. Lots of things you can do to entertain yourself and some of your friends who have no place to go and all day to get there. Some projects seem quite worthwhile after one or more margaritas. Someone opined that we should look into the making of a margarita.

Where did the concept of margaritas come from? 

There are many versions of who invented the margarita. This is quoted from Difford’s Guide: “Daniel “Danny” Negrate is said to have created the drink in 1936 when he was the manager of Garci Crespo Hotel in Puebla Mexico. His girlfriend, Margarita, apparently liked salt in her drinks and the story goes that he created the drink for her as a present” http://diffordsguide.com/g/1138/margarita-cocktail/origins-and-history

Where to begin?  Firstly we should start off with no margaritas in our system. Where will we go?  Probably we should start with places we know and where we are known. A useful tactic that helps avoid the butterfly nets! We decided, in no particular order, on Barchelata Beer Bar, Encore Restaurant and Lounge, La China, and Culi’s Restaurant and Bar. Can we do all four in one day? The consensus was let’s try two places on Thursday, and two more on Sunday. Kelly, myself, and our good friends Mark and Jacqueline.

First stop was Barchelata Beer Bar. Julio, the owner and bartender, has been in Bucerias since 2008, and opened his bar in 2009. He was an automotive mechanic, who enjoyed sports and dreamt of owning a sports bar one day. That dream came true!

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Barchelata is open every day. Contact 322 134 6978, 329 298 6395, julio.barchelata@gmail.com and located at Avenida de Las Palmas #93 in Zona Dorada.

The second stop was at Encore. Lauro has been in this area for forty years. For the past twelve years he has mixed drinks at Encore. Lauro’s entire career has been in the hospitality business.  He enjoys creating cocktails and even offers a Green Margarita!

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While we were watching Lauro make his signature margarita, Jacqueline somehow got involved in a wine tasting comparing Pinot Grigio’s. Probably because margaritas open lots of doors.

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Encore Restaurant & Lounge 329 298 0140 #51 Lazaro Cardenas http://encoreonthebeach.com

After a couple of days off to cleanse the palate, and  get rid of the tequila in our systems, we re-convened at La China. There we met Baldo Rios Garcia, who has lived here for twenty-three years. He has worked as a bartender for the past six years. Baldo also informed us, “La China” translates to “girl with curly hair.”

Our next stop was Culi’s. Francisco (Pancho!) Cisneros has lived his entire life in Bucerias, and has mixed drinks for over fifteen years.

Culi’s Restaurant and Bar 322 159 6929 #32 Calle 5 de Mayo, Colonia La Unidad https://www.facebook.com/culisrestaurant/

Some things we did learn. These guys know all about showmanship. Part of that great margarita is watching it be made. Can we rate them? Not only would that be unfair, it would also be impossible. We are not saying these are the best in Bucerias, there’s a whole lot more places to check out. What we are saying is that the first four we tried sure were good.

The bartenders, or mixologists as some folks refer to them as, were all great sports, and a special thanks to the owners for letting us have some fun!