Episode 224 - The Worm and the Margarita

In this first installment of a two-part series, Eric investigates the origins and history of the Margarita cocktail, beginning with the origins of sour taste perception 500 million years ago. The run of show includes: The evolutionary legacy of how a tiny roundworm came to sense a change in hydrogen ion density in its environment Why humans like sour tastes, especially when those sour tastes exist in the presence of sugar and alcohol The naval environment in which distilled spirits, sugar, and fresh citrus juice became one of the first global drinking trends The two cocktails that paved the way for the Margarita, namely: the Brandy Crusta and the Daisy