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The First Frozen Margarita Machine
The frozen margarita machine was invented on May
11, 1971 by Mariano Martinez, a Dallas restaurant owner. Martinez
used a soft-serve ice cream machine as the basis of his invention
and he modified it to suit his needs. Inspired by other frozen
drink machines he saw at local convenience stores, Martinez wanted
a way to easily mass produce the frozen margarita which was under
a high demand. Up until that point the the only way to make a
frozen margarita was by using a blender. Blenders worked but made
drinks of varying consistency. Martinez' machine could fill a high
demand and produce a better and more consistent product. He would
continue using this machine for decades until he eventually
retired it in favor of one of the newer machines on the market.
His original machine is alive and well however. It now resides at
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
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