National Margarita Day sounds bogus, but why not celebrate tequila cocktails?

Somebody, somewhere, decided that Feb. 22 is National Margarita Day. It was hard to find an official source on this information, which was recently gleaned from a promotional poster at Benny's (301 E. Seventh Ave.). A quick Googling of the subject brings back plenty of hits, but none that looks sanctioned by the United States government or another holiday-making body.

Nonetheless, it's a fine enough time to celebrate the margarita, the tangy beverage of choice at Mexican restaurants everywhere.

Maybe February isn't the best month — summer's still a long way off — but kicking back with a strong marg is sure to bring back memories of sunny days past and a sweet yearning for patio drinks to come.

In celebration of the holiday, a couple of places to sample the margarita at its best:

The Rio Grande (1525 Blake St.) is the obvious choice, and rightly so. The Rio's famous for its powerful margs, so powerful that each customer is limited to three per visit.

What makes them great — and the best in town — is the excellent ratio of tequila to margarita mix. Which is to say, there's more tequila than mix.

Too much mix, and a margarita tastes like a glassful of sugar, leading to the highly unpleasant condition of "sticky teeth." Not to mention that it means there's hardly enough tequila in the drink, and margaritas aren't cheap.

The Rio errs on the side of too much tequila, with just enough mixer to take the edge off. They are on the rocks, delicious and definitely dangerous. Keep a basket of chips and salsa close at hand, and a good time is practically guaranteed.

Another classic example can be found at LoLa (1575 Boulder St.), where the "coin-style" margarita is queen.

Coin-style margaritas are straightforward: blanco tequila, lime and a splash of orange, sometimes as Cointreau or, in LoLa's case, Citronge.

Once again, the flavor of the tequila comes to the fore, instead of being drowned out with strawberry flavoring or other horrible perversions. And if the weather's nice, LoLa's patio is the perfect venue for sipping a strong drink and enjoying the sunshine.

Take some time out on Sunday to celebrate National Margarita Day. Enjoy your favorite version of this venerable beverage. Even if it's a frozen, virgin, strawberry-banana flavored monstrosity, it's still a margarita, and you deserve a break.

Enlightened. Miles Maeda is really good at two things: Spinning records and striking poses. Yoga poses, that is.

The Hawaii native somehow found time to become a certified yoga instructor between working the Chicago DJ scene and producing records. Now based in California, Maeda tours the country promoting both the benefits of yoga and his own DJ skills.

Maeda takes over Bar Standard (1037 Broadway) on Saturday, but don't bring a yoga mat. Just be ready to shake it to Maeda's house grooves.

Presale tickets are $5 at groovetickets.com.

Bead bonanza. Fat Tuesday is once again upon us, giving the party-minded another reason to drink on a weekday.

Tonight, though, The Church is celebrating early with its Bead Party. It's ages 18 and up, but ladies over 21 get in for free all night. The music is house, spun by Bryan Matthew, Devious D and Proteje.

Come Tuesday, Wish (511 W. Colfax Ave.) is hosting its own Mardi Gras fete, with $3 you-call-its and a $100 bottle special.

They're advertising it as "the only party in town where you can flash for beads!" (Yep, nudity is legal at Wish, attached as it is to Diamond Cabaret.)

So if you're in the market to expose yourself to strangers in exchange for cheap plastic baubles, Wish is the place. It's probably the closest thing in these parts to Bourbon Street.



Source: denverpost.com