A month before the pandemic, my very last cocktail at The Polynesian in NYC was the Rita Hayworth. Many might know Rita’s real name was Margarita Cansino, (her parents Spaniards) Her favorite drink is now what we call a Margarita from the 1940s. I never really quite understood her connection with tiki outside of her movie “Affair in Trinidad” but I was wondering as to when the cocktail was created. Was it in 2019 when the Polynesian opened? I ask Captain Brian Miller via email but never got a reply. I see another recipe where they replace Chartreuse with Galliano, so again, wondering if it was a cocktail prior to The Polynesian and/or its connection to tiki.
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I am not aware of a historical “Rita Hayworth Cocktail”. I would not be surprised if there is an obscure one (or more). I am aware of attempts to work her—or various other famous women—into a creation mythology for the Margarita. The most current summary of the actual history of the Margarita that I know of is Wondrich’s entry in the Oxford Companion.
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This kind of infusion in a cocktail context is generally a modern thing. The “overproof tequila” is too. My guess is that Miller made it up specifically for the Polynesian, or it’s a riff on something from his Death & Co (or other) past. I don’t recall ever having this, but it sounds nice and probably pretty easy to approximate. Look for some 55% tequila blanco, pour it over some pineapple, add a sage leaf or two and taste-test over the hours and days. You may need to yank the sage leaves early because they’re so strongly-flavored. Balance with honey syrup, Chartreuse and lime juice. Win!
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Yes, I did try it at home yesterday using Green chartreuse, but I think yellow would be more like the Galliano (more saffron) like some recipes call for. It was a surprisingly good cocktail, I used Dole LIGHT instead of the regular as I didnt want to juice a whole fresh pineapple. As for the tequila, I could not find any “overproof” from what I find they are 80-90 proof - I am sure they exist but I was not about to spend over $100 to make one cocktail.
Interestingly enough, I found this while searching for cinnamon syrup cocktail recipes. They refer to it as a “Gilda” (the movie Rita Hayworth was most famous for):
While there is maybe no particular connection between Hayworth and the Margarita beyond coincidence, there may be a connection between her role in Gilda and the basque tapa of the same name.
So I became a free “member” of Diffords and if you click on HISTORY they actually state what Martin suggested: