Marjorie King; Possible Eponym of the Margarita Cocktail

Marjorie King, 91, the Ziegfeld showgirl and B-movie actress for whom the popular cocktail margarita may have been named. Four authoritative books about the drink list at least eight possible origins. The favorite version in Southern California has always been that it was invented by Danny Herrera for King in 1947 or 1948 (he couldn’t remember which). Herrera, who died in San Diego in 1992, told The Times that the thrice-married King often stopped at his Rancho la Gloria watering hole near Tijuana on her trips to Ensenada. She was allergic to everything except tequila and couldn’t drink it straight, he said, so he started experimenting. When she approved his concoction of three parts white tequila, two parts Cointreau and one part fresh lemon juice, shaken with shaved ice and served in a glass rimmed in lemon juice and salt, he named it the Margarita (the closest Spanish equivalent for Marjorie) in her honor. On Saturday in Los Angeles.