National Margarita Day 2026: Top Happy Hour Deals, Must-Try Recipes & Tequila Tips

FEBRUARY 22, 2026—THE DAY TO RAISE A SALT-RIMMED GLASS Craving a cocktail escape in the dead of winter? National Margarita Day 2026 lands on Sunday, Feb. 22, and bars, restaurants, and home mixologists across the United States are ready with icy lime-laced celebrations. Below is your one-stop guide to the best margarita deals, recipe tips, and fiesta-worthy facts to help you rank—and drink—like a pro. WHY FEBRUARY 22 MATTERS The margarita remains America’s most-ordered tequila drink, and this annual holiday was created to spark memories of warm beaches in the chill of mid-February. As tequila sales surge—up 29 percent year-over-year, according to industry trackers—brands and eateries leverage the day to pour discounted cocktails that keep traffic flowing long after happy hour. NATIONWIDE CHAIN DEALS • Chili’s: Classic Margaritas for $5 all day plus the fan-favorite Tequila Trifecta for $7. • Kona Grill: Any margarita—house, skinny, or mango—for $6 from Feb. 22-25. • Chuy’s: Upgrade to top-shelf tequila for just $2; keep the commemorative shaker while supplies last. • On The Border: $3 classic margaritas and $5 strawberry Swirls. • Velvet Taco: $5 Kick-Ass Margaritas all weekend long. • Margaritas Mexican Restaurant (New England): All-day discounts on every style the chain offers. LOCAL HOT SPOTS TO KNOW • Houston: Hugo Ortega’s family of restaurants—Caracol, Xochi, URBE, and Hugo’s—serves $10 house margaritas and an exclusive one-day spice-pineapple mix. • San Antonio: Tenfold Rooftop at the Kimpton Santo offers skyline views with $16 Cadillac Margaritas. • Raleigh-Durham: Mi Cancún pours $3.99 glass margaritas and $2.99 drafts for budget-friendly sips. • Oklahoma City: Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar goes loco with $2.22 LocoRitas at its Norman location. MAKE-AT-HOME, SEARCH-FRIENDLY RECIPE Boost your own “best margarita recipe” search ranking by mastering the classic 3-2-1 formula: • 3 oz blanco tequila (100 % agave) • 2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice • 1 oz orange liqueur Shake with ice, strain over fresh cubes, garnish with a lime wheel and kosher-salt rim. For SEO bonus points, embed variations like “skinny margarita,” “spicy jalapeño margarita,” and “frozen strawberry margarita” in your content or social captions. TEQUILA TRENDS TO TALK ABOUT • Premiumization: Consumers continue trading up to reposado and añejo spirits, so spotlight upgrades or flights on your menu. • Mezcal mash-ups: Search interest in “mezcal margarita” has doubled year-over-year—feature smoky riffs to capture that traffic. • Ready-to-drink growth: Canned margarita sales jumped 36 percent, making RTDs a smart shelf display or affiliate link. SOCIAL & HASHTAG STRATEGY Use #NationalMargaritaDay, #MargaritaDay2026, and location tags like #HoustonDrinks or #NYCHappyHour to surface on both local maps and national feeds. Encourage user-generated photos—the cocktail’s bright color pops on TikTok and Instagram Reels, fueling organic reach. BOTTOM LINE Whether you’re chasing $3 house ritas, crafting a top-shelf Cadillac, or optimizing your blog for “best margarita near me,” Feb. 22 delivers a shot of lime-scented opportunity. Plan your posts, claim your deals, and let the tequila-salt-sunshine combo drive both clicks and cheers this National Margarita Day 2026.