Meet the Daisy, the Original Margarita

The Gin Daisy: beautiful and delicious. Add a twist of lemon or garnish with seasonal fruit, if you wish.

Long before everyone was ordering margaritas, there was The Daisy—a refreshingly tart cocktail with lightly sweet undertones. (In Spanish, “margarita” means daisy, by the way.) The drink dates back to the mid-1800’s, and it stayed popular well into the next century. Over time, the Daisy evolved into what we know today as the margarita. But those early iterations of the Daisy are a delight, and this drink deserves its return to the spotlight. It’s even been popping up at bars and restaurants around the country in recent years, so ask for it at your next happy hour. If the bartender doesn’t know The Daisy, it’s time they did.

The Daisy is delicious: it’s a refreshing mix of spirits with a just-right amount of citrus tartness that won’t make your mouth pucker,  and a little sweetness that is in no way cloying.

The earliest Daisies were rum, brandy, lemon juice, simple syrup, curaçao (heady orange infused liqueur). That’s practically a classic margarita right there!

You might recognize Daisy when you sip on other popular drinks today: the sidecar, cosmopolitans — but she started it all. Gin got together with Daisy around the 1930’s and it’s what inspires our version of this delicious cocktail. Cheers!

The Gin Daisy
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon simple syrup
1/2 teaspoon grenadine
cracked ice
club soda (optional)

Combine gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and grenadine in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into glass filled with cracked ice. Top with club soda, if desired.

Serves 1 (serving size about 1/2 cup)
CALORIES 120; FAT 0.1g (sat 0g, mono 0g, poly 0g); PROTEIN 0g; CARB 6g; FIBER 0g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0mg; SODIUM 2mg; CALC 2mg

5 Basic Ingredients for a Gin Daisy: Gin, Lemon, Sugar, Genadine, and ice.

Keep Reading:

• What We’re Sipping This Spring
• This Gorgeous Menu Will Make You Super Excited for Spring
• Our Best Margarita Recipes

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