Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo, Patrón Tequila Announces 2016's 'Margarita of the Year'

On National Margarita Day in February, Patrón Tequila embarked on a global search for 2016's "Margarita of the Year," and now, as Cinco de Mayo approaches, seven unique styles of competing margaritas have been tasted...and tasted again...and the final results have been tallied. With more than 50,000 votes cast, the Spicy Margarita has been chosen as Patrón Tequila's 2016 "Margarita of the Year."

Patrón, the global leader in the 100 percent agave ultra-premium tequila category, enlisted the help of seven top bartenders from across the U.S. and Mexico to create recipes for seven distinct styles of margaritas, respecting the unique heritage of this classic cocktail, while incorporating their personal style, regional influences, and culinary trends. The recipes for the seven styles of margaritas – herbal, spicy, smoky, savory, modern, tropical and classic – were posted at MargaritaOfTheYear.com, where the public was invited to cast a daily vote for their favorite. Fans were also invited to vote live at select Patrón-sponsored events, culminating in a final showdown of the three top favorites (spicy, smoky and modern) at a grand celebration last week in New York, where this year's winning "Margarita of the Year" was ultimately crowned.

"The margarita is one of the most popular cocktails in the world, and over the years it's been interpreted in countless recipes and styles," says drinks writer and cocktail historian David Wondrich, who attended the event in New York and contributed to the final vote. He also penned an article about the history of the margarita for the MargaritaOfTheYear website. "For me, it's difficult to choose a favorite, but from the votes that were tallied, the Spicy Margarita is a clear winner!"