Entertainment

12 Times Life Calls For Margaritas

by Dacy Knight

Feb. 24, 2016

Sometimes life calls for margaritas. You may not be expecting it, but suddenly it hits you — it's a margarita moment — something that can only be celebrated (or commiserated) with the unique quench of a margarita. And once it hits, all you can really do is give in. What's better than an uplifting margarita at a moment's notice? As actress and fellow margarita-lover Gabrielle Union beautifully told me while celebrating National Margarita Day with Lime-A-Rita, "sometimes life hands us margarita moments on a silver platter." They can be in jubilation or disappointment, big moments or small. Sometimes they can be planned, but most often they're completely unexpected. In whatever shape or form the margarita moment arrives, don't fight it. It's a beautiful excuse to enjoy something delightful and refreshing that instantly lifts your spirits — from a low point or to take them even higher.

There's no question that celebrities love margaritas just as much as we do. Union has a lot on her agenda at the moment, starring in The Birth Of A Nation that just premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, winning both the grand jury prize and the audience award for U.S. dramatic feature, and is currently working on season four of Being Mary Jane. Despite her busy schedule, she still finds time for fun.

This past Monday Feb. 22, in celebration of these magic moments and National Margarita Day, Union surprised commuters at Grand Central Station with a full-blown Lime-A-Rita fiesta. While New Yorkers were trekking home after a long work day, they came face to face with a pop-up celebration hosted by Union and featuring a DJ set by DJ Swizz Beatz. Commuters at the event got to sample from the robust Lime-A-Rita portfolio and even play around in a ball pit for grownups. Not a bad way to start the work week.

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Before the event, I sat down with Union to discuss when she comes across life's margarita moments and how to make them even better. She shared a long list of occasions that call for margaritas, stressing that they're not necessarily limited to the super exciting or celebratory. It's possible to find yourself in a margarita moment even if something doesn't go so well and you just need to take the edge off. Additionally, it's possible to revel in modest feats that many might find mundane. Union says she's all about celebrating life's little joys and accomplishments, and what better way than with a margarita?

For organized margarita moments, where you might gather a few glasses and your girlfriends before the urge strikes, Union has some pro tips for making it better. She recommends curating the moment — meaning getting together the right combination of people, finding the perfect music for the occasion, and keeping the food simple (but making sure you have enough). Then, as long as you have a designated driver or your Uber app on hand, you're ready to fiesta.

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While it's always great to have a plan to "turn it up," Union says that some of the best times are spur of the moment and completely unexpected. If you have a couple cold Lime-A-Ritas on hand (she says she's "old school" and her favorite flavor is lime), any time life serves up a margarita moment you're good to go. Some of her favorite margarita moments have resulted in karaoke ("not necessarily 'great' karaoke"). Her current go to? "Helpless" from Hamilton. Above all, Union says to have fun and create margarita moments from life. So before your glass gets warm, here's an abridged list of times life calls for margaritas, according to Union.