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