Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1314457
164 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 "When I opened my first restaurant, I used my father's margarita recipe. Bartenders were using a blender. They lacked consistency. I learned a lot about the restaurant biz from music," Martinez says. "I would compare my approach to business to the Eagles. At con- cer ts, they perform ever y song like the recording. Exactly. That's what I like. I've been in this biz almost 50 years. Consistency is key. But with high quality. Like the Eagles or Bruce Springsteen." As the new kid in town, Martinez realized that to succeed, he needed a way to standardize his cocktail—so each would be exactly alike. He was struck with inspiration by the 7-11 Slurpee machines. "What if I could use one of those to make margaritas?" he wondered. When he approached the company about purchasing one, he was rebuffed. "The guy also told me, 'you can't freeze alcohol anyway.' Instead, I got a soft serve ice cream machine, souped it up and tin- kered with the recipe," Martinez shares. "I found that with a little more sugar, the drink froze." It was an instant hit. "I didn't dawn on me that I had invented any- thing except a way to make consistent margar- itas," he explains. As a result, he did not apply for a patent. Another passion of Martinez'—golf—led him to make Pebble Beach his second home. "I put everything I've got into everything I do," he says. "When I took up golf, I didn't care what the score was. I'm five foot six and I wanted to hit the ball as far or father than the big guys." Martinez and his wife Wanda purchased a home in Pebble and transformed it into "Casa del Cerro" (House on the Hill), the sublime home that became the Martinez' West Coast retreat. "I've spent my lifetime playing in bands and being the front man in my restaurants— pumping hands, making sure ever yone's happy—after a while you want to find a place Photo: Richard Strauss/Smithsonian Institute 2008 Today, Martinez' first frozen margarita machine is proudly ensconced in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Because of its iconic and historic status, the inventor now has to wear gloves to touch his creation. As a bass player, the determined entrepreneur shared stages with some of the biggest names of his era: Chuck Berry, the Drifters, B.B. King and Jimmy Reed.