Jimmy Buffett, who died on Friday at age 76, was known for his songs of paradise and affinity for margaritas.
The “Margaritaville” singer inspired devotees, known as Parrotheads, to celebrate a more laid back lifestyle with his music, including the song named after the cocktail.
“What’s most important is to please the Parrotheads, because there’s more to the music than just the music,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 1995. “It’s become a lifestyle. I wish I could take credit, but it’s fan-generated.”
The embrace of this relaxed, beach bum attitude saw great success throughout the singer’s life with a chain of restaurants, resorts, tons of merchandise and even a Broadway musical.
While Buffett said he stopped drinking margaritas in 2018, the singer’s businesses have been serving up the frozen cocktail for years, inspired most notably by “Margaritaville.”
Honor Buffett’s life and legacy with his official recipe from Carlo Sernaglia and Julia Turshen’s Margaritaville cookbook.
The Official ‘Margaritaville’ Margarita
1 cup ice
¼ cup tequila
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. triple sec
1 Tbsp. superfine sugar
Salt
Lime wedge
- In a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup ice, tequila, fresh lime juice, 3 tablespoons water, triple sec and superfine sugar.
- Shake well and pour contents into a salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Serves: 1