Dallas Celebrates 50 Years of the Frozen Margarita Machine

Did you know Dallas is the Official Home of the Frozen Margarita? On May 11, 1971, Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Martinez was a young man in 1971 with $500 and dreams of opening his own business. His Mariano’s Hacienda gained acclaim for its frozen margaritas, but ice, blenders, tequila and overwhelmed bartenders led to inconsistent production. Inspired by 7-Eleven’s Slurpee machines, Martinez converted a soft-serve ice cream machine and tinkered with his recipe until it became the machine and cocktail we know today, serving a perfect frozen margarita with every pour.

The original frozen margarita machine today sits in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. In celebration of the invention, VisitDallas launched its Margarita Mile in 2018, listing a collection of margaritas to try around the city — it’s the ultimate margarita bucket list. Options include the OG at Mariano’s Hacienda in East Dallas to a liquid nitrogen-frozen version at Beto & Son. App users check into locations and earn cool swag along the way. Download the free Margarita Mile app on the Apple Store and Google Play.