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The invention of the frozen margarita machine
Discover how a desperate Dallas restaurateur modified a soft-serve ice cream machine in 1971 to invent the world's first frozen margarita dispenser.
4 chapters66 assets
by diegoplays · Jul 19, 2026
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Chapter 1
The birth of the frozen margarita machine
1The frantic Dallas kitchen of Mariano Martinez
2A late night 7-Eleven epiphany
3Modifying the Taylor soft serve machine
4The secret sugar formula for freezing
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Chapter 2
The science of the slush
1The low freezing point of ethanol
2Sugar as a freezing point depressant
3The physics of the rotating scraper
4The chemistry of the salted rim
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Chapter 3
From a local bar to the Smithsonian
1Saving Mariano's Hacienda from ruin
2The massive boom in tequila imports
3Entering the Smithsonian National Museum
4Shaping the identity of Tex Mex
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Chapter 4
The global frozen drink phenomenon
1The limitations of the blended margarita
2The New Orleans drive thru phenomenon
3The global spread of non alcoholic slush
4The modern craft frozen cocktail revival
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