The Texas Bar That Created The Mexican Martini Celebrates 50 Years

A half-century after first opening in 1975, The Cedar Door is celebrating fifty years as one of the most legendary watering holes in Austin, Texas. Aside from embodying the quirky spirit of the city, the bar has an even bigger, international claim to fame: The Cedar Door is famously credited with inventing the Mexican Martini, a cocktail that has become synonymous with Austin’s bar scene.

Although other local establishments have laid claim to the cocktail, it is widely accepted amongst Austinites that The Cedar Door is the real deal. The story goes that sometime in the late ‘70s to early ’80s, a waitress named Ellen returned from Mexico with tales of a margarita served up in a shaker with a martini glass and olives, rather than on the rocks like it was locally served in Texas. Inspired by this idea, the bar adapted their margarita into what would become the Mexican Martini, served in a frosty metal shaker, with a salt-encrusted coupe glass and three juicy green olives in a cocktail skewer, on the side.

Having recently moved from Mexico City to Austin, friends took me to The Cedar Door to show me this cocktail around 1985 – which, if I remember correctly, was first known as a Mexican Margarita or simply as “a Mexican” – to see if I would indeed confirm this was how the cocktail was served in Mexico. And yes, I agreed that a proper margarita as I knew it should be served up in a salt-rimmed coupe rather than on the rocks, but the olives were definitely a new and welcome twist.

The Origin Of The Mexican Martini

The origin story of the Mexican Martini was certainly perpetuated by longtime bartender Jim LeMond, a larger-than-life character who loved telling stories and knew every regular customer by their first name. Jim sadly passed away in 2019, but his second wife, Rebecca LeMond, shared some memories about him and the Mexican Martini.

“Jim was the ultimate raconteur. He always said that a story should get better each time you tell it, but as far as the Mexican Martini was concerned, Jim was very consistent in recounting its origin,” she says. “A waitress at the Cedar Door went on vacation to Mexico and was served a margarita in a cocktail shaker with a strainer, martini glass, and olives. She brought the story back to Jim, and he said they started serving their house margarita set up that way, calling it a Mexican Martini.” She recounts that Jim told her that “we didn’t change the recipe, we changed the presentation…and our customers loved it.”

Rebecca states that Jim never changed the story over countless “re-tellings,” and how he always gave credit to the anonymous waitress rather than claiming it for himself in order to make the story better. “It amused him when the Mexican Martini started showing up on everyone’s menu as if it was a bespoke cocktail,” she says. “Of course, that would trigger a recounting of the Cedar Door Mexican Martini story for his immediate audience. He would often regale rapt listeners with that story, and much like Jim himself, it became legendary.”

The Legacy Of The Cedar Door

Gus and Diane Koerner opened the original location at 401 West 15th Street, next to Michel’s Massage parlor, as a watering hole for Gus to hang out with his buddies. It soon became a hotspot for local politicians, celebs and notables through the ‘70s and ’80s.

Known as the nomadic bar, The Cedar Door did not just moved addresses – the Koerners took their iconic bungalow with them through five location changes, finally landing at the current one, on the corner of 2nd and Brazos streets, in 2002 under new owners, Steve and Heather Potts. Thankfully, they’ve preserved the bar’s retro charm while solidifying its role as a cultural institution in Austin’s nightlife scene.

“The Cedar Door has always been about more than cocktails, it’s a gathering place where Austin’s stories get told and retold,” says Heather Potts. “This [50 year] milestone is a thank you to everyone who’s shared a laugh, a toast, or a memory with us over the past five decades. We’re here because of you, and we’re ready to shake up the next 50 years.”

The Mexican Martini has not evolved beyond what bartenders originally created back in the day. And to celebrate 50 years of a local legend and a timeless cocktail, The Cedar Door will be launching their own Mexican Martini Mix in retail by the end of the year, with a whole new look and updated logo, after a weekend of lively festivities.

The Cedar Door’s Legendary Mexican Martini

• 3 oz. añejo tequila
• 1 ½ oz. Cointreau
• 1 ½ oz. fresh lime juice
• ½ oz. green olive brine
• Splash of fresh orange juice
• Lime wedge and olives for garnish

Agitate everything in an ice-filled shaker, then strain into a small, chilled coupe or martini glass rimmed with salt. Add a couple of olives and a lime wedge. Proceed to drink slowly, preferably with a basket of chips and a bowl of salsa, and clear your calendar for the rest of the day.