Good morning and welcome to a day before Friday, AKA Thursday.
Even when I was drinking, I was never a big margarita fan. I preferred scotch and red wine in the winter and G&T, white wine, and bubbly (usually prosecco as opposed to champagne, because, well, it’s more affordable and also my dad is a big fan) in the summer.
I always found margaritas – especially the frozen kind that comes from one of those slushy drink dispenser-type things – to be overly sweet and more or less undrinkable.
The traditional, straight-up, version – tequila, triple sec, and lime juice, shaken and served on the rocks with a salt rim and no additional sweetener – is preferable, in my opinion. But again, it wouldn’t be my first choice – if I were still making such choices.
I am, as it turns out, in the minority. The margarita is the most-ordered cocktail in the U.S. It is also one of the most popular cocktails in the world, and definitely THE most popular tequila-based drink.
The origin of the margarita is murky (we’ll delve a little more deeply into that question in a moment). It’s easier to trace the roots of its main ingredient – tequila. It originated centuries ago with ancient people living in the lowlands of Mexico who were known as the Olmecs (precursors to the Aztecs), who made a fermented drink called “pulque” from the sap of the agave plant.
When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, they adapted pulque to create mezcal, which is – contrary to popular belief – not a term that is interchangeable with tequila.
To clear things up: All tequilas are technically mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequilas. In short, tequila can be made ONLY from a single kind of agave plant – Blue Weber Agave – whereas mezcal can be made from any sort of agave variety.
If you really want to go down the tequila history rabbit hold, click here. A few highlights…
A Cuervo family descendant was given permission from the King of Span in 1758 to land in the town of Tequila, Mexico, to harvest blue agave, and 37 years later, his son was given the first license to start producing and distributing tequila. Another name likely to ring a bell, Don Cenobio Sauza, unofficially known as the “Father of Tequila,” was another early and influential operator in this pace.
So, what about the margarita, which ostensibly is the entire point of this post in honor of National Margarita Day? The problem is that a number of people claim to have invented this particular drink.
A reputable cocktail historian, David Wondrich, suggests that the margarita evolved from a different beverage altogether, which was called The Daisy, which was a mix of alcohol (often brandy), citrus juice and grenadine, served over shaved ice. (Interestingly, “margarita” means “daisy” in Spanish).
There is such thing as a Tequila Daisy, which originally featured orange liqueur, lime juice, sugar, and a splash of soda.
There are a lot of promotions and deals to. be had on this day. If you’re in the Capital Region, specifically, check out some options here. For other possibilities, click here, here, and here.
It’s not a great day for enjoying a beverage – alcoholic or otherwise, unless perhaps it’s something hot – out-of-doors, though it will again be slightly less frigid than usual. We’ll see mostly cloudy skies with light rain and showers in the evening, and temperatures will hit highs somewhere in the low 40s.
In the headlines…
The Biden administration said it would forgive $1.2 billion in student debt for nearly 153,000 borrowers enrolled its new repayment program, called the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.
The relief will go to borrowers who have been in repayment for a decade or longer, and originally took out $12,000 or less.
It will “particularly help community college and other borrowers with smaller loans and put many on track to being free of student debt faster than ever before”, the White House said in a statement.
Biden touted the relief and his administration’s broader efforts to cancel student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans during remarks in Los Angeles.
Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a crazy S.O.B.” in a fundraiser in San Francisco, according to the pool reporters traveling with the US president.
Biden has previously called others a “son of a bitch”. In January 2022, he was caught on a hot mic using the same term of abuse about a Fox News White House reporter.
The president also compared the current generation of Republicans in Congress to racist lawmakers of the past, arguing that today’s crop was “worse” because it had sought to undermine the legitimacy of elections.
President Biden “never had any involvement” in the business dealings of other members of his family, his brother James Biden testified as he appeared for a voluntary private interview on Capitol Hill as part of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry.
James Biden’s interview comes a week before the president’s son Hunter Biden is set to appear for his own transcribed interview on Feb. 28.
The White House is considering executive action to restrict migrants’ ability to seek asylum at the US-Mexico border if they crossed illegally – a maneuver reminiscent of controversial action from the Donald Trump era and is sure to invite fierce backlash.
Biden is holding on to his lead over Trump, the GOP front-runner, in a new Quinnipiac University poll, released yesterday. Forty-nine percent of registered voters said they support Biden, compared to 45 percent who chose Trump.
However, 67 percent of voters said Biden, 81, is too old to effectively serve another term, compared with 57 percent who said the same of Trump, 77. Only 34 percent said Biden is mentally fit to serve another term, while 48 percent believe that of Trump.
Trump confirmed a list of names floated to be on his vice presidential shortlist this week during a town hall event in Greenville, S.C. This list ranges from South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told supporters that he wouldn’t want to be Trump’s vice president, suggested it would be a “mistake” for Trump to consider “identity politics” in selecting a running mate and left wide open the door to a 2028 presidential run.
Biden has given first dog Commander to relatives, the White House said, following revelations of more brutal attacks on Secret Service employees.
Commander bit US Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents at the White House and other locations, according to new internal USSS documents.
The Secret Service had to “adjust our operational tactics” to protect Biden because the first family’s dog kept biting agents, including one who required six stitches and another whose blood spilled onto the floor of the White House.
American intelligence agencies have told their closest European allies that if Russia is going to launch a nuclear weapon into orbit, it will probably do it this year, but might instead launch a “dummy” warhead to leave the West guessing about its capabilities.
Boeing Co. fired the head of its 737 Max aircraft program, shaking its leadership amid the fallout of a midair blowout of an Alaska Airlines door plug in January.
John Avlon, a Democrat and former CNN political analyst, announced that he would enter a crowded congressional primary to try to flip a Republican-held swing seat on Long Island.
The Long Island seat Avlon is seeking, currently held by Rep. Nick LaLota, was key to the GOP securing a razor-thin House majority in 2022. Avlon said he’s running to build a broad coalition against Trump, the current GOP presidential front-runner.
“Right now, our democracy’s in danger,” Avlon said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, yesterday. “This election is not a drill. It’s up to all of us to step up and get off the sidelines.”
New York state Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos has decided to step down from the role. He has led the DEC since October 2015, the longest tenure a commissioner has served in that department.
Hochul has made no secret of her goal to scale back state spending across agencies. But among some rural state lawmakers, her plan to save $77 million on prisons is driving backlash.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing heat over a green push targeting a key chemical used in refrigerators and air conditioners that critics say could force business owners to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars in new equipment.
Melissa DeRosa penned a Daily News op-ed criticizing Hochul for failing to step up and handle New York City’s migrant crisis.
Some advocates are pushing lawmakers to ensure tipped workers in New York state are also paid the statewide minimum wage.
Republicans leaders from around New York are in Binghamton for a statewide nominating convention where they will vote to endorse one of a handful of candidates looking to unseat three-term Democrat U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Mayor Eric Adams called off the next round of budget cuts — sparing all city agencies further belt-tightening and lifting a hiring freeze — citing “better-than-expected” revenue and further reductions in migrant spending.
Agency heads have warned for months that they’re already struggling to carry out basic services due to the January and November cuts, saying they’d face existential problems if they were subjected to another 5% trim in April.
Adams jetted to Missouri to tour the offices of a local tech company that does a significant amount of work for the city, despite a ban on taxpayer-funded out-of-state travel remains in place for municipal government officials due to budgetary concerns.
Adams this week found himself on uncomfortable terrain navigated by many New York Democrats — a public fight with the city’s influential, right-leaning tabloid that has largely spared the mayor its trademark vitriol.
Adams and Hochul are in a new “Battle of the Rails” as subway crime skyrockets, and the city wants state funds to put more cops on the trains and the platforms.
Adams announced police officers at train stations will now work longer hours to combat the rise in subway crimes.
The New York City Council wants to take a bitter feud with Adams over housing vouchers to court — the latest clash in a volatile power struggle with the mayor.
Marcella Tillett, the executive director of the Adams’ Fund to Advance New York City, has abruptly stepped down after roughly 16 months on the job.
A family of four migrants with two children under age 17 could get $15,200 a year under the Big Apple’s controversial new $53 million program to dole out pre-paid credit cards to asylum seekers.
A controversial New York City law that would have allowed 800,000 non-citizens, but legal residents, to vote in municipal elections was struck down as unconstitutional by a state appeals court.
The Maricopa County attorney in Arizona said she would fight to keep a man who authorities believe bludgeoned a woman to death in a New York City hotel, saying she did not believe Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg could be trusted to keep him behind bars.
Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Raad Almansoori, who is sought in the beating death of a Queens mom at a Manhattan hotel earlier this month, will remain behind bars on her turf because of Bragg’s track record handling hardened criminals.
Correction officers on Rikers Island are increasingly using pepper spray to subdue detainees who fight guards or try to kill themselves, according to an oversight report released yesterday.
Advocates for disabled people want a federal judge to enforce an agreement by the Taxi and Limousine Commission to make half of New York City’s yellow taxicabs wheelchair accessible.
Officials had committed to making sure that 50 percent of the city’s taxi fleet could accommodate wheelchair users by 2023. A lawsuit says they have fallen short.
A bald eagle that amassed a popular following throughout New York City was tragically killed in a vehicle accident this week, a local birder said.
Erie County Republicans have selected West Seneca Supervisor Gary Dickson as their nominee for the seat formerly held by Rep. Brian Higgins. He’ll face an uphill battle against State Sen. Tim Kennedy, the Democratic nominee , and possibly Nate McMurray.
A scathing report from the state attorney general condemns Saratoga Springs city officials and its police for a pattern of unconstitutional moves against Black Lives Matter protesters.
City Station North, the fourth phase of the United Group’s urban renewal project in downtown Troy, is finally moving forward after securing bank financing.
The Milton man accused of kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from Moreau Lake State Park last year pleaded guilty to two felony counts — first-degree kidnapping and predatory sexual assault against a child — and will serve 47 years to life in prison.
The second location of Hattie’s Restaurant, the Saratoga Springs bastion of Southern cooking since 1938, will open March 14 in the former Lombardo’s Restaurant on lower Madison Avenue in Albany.
Demolition of nearly a dozen vacant and abandoned eyesore properties across Schenectady County is slated to get underway in the spring.
If all goes as planned, Odysseus, a private spacecraft, will touch down on the lunar surface today. It will be the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
