Can you call it a margarita when it's made with chocolate?

The margarita continues its reign as America's most popular cocktail, as determined by those who track such things at the Distilled Spirits Council.

Really?

While I'm not one to walk away from a traditional margarita made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, triple sec (or Gran Gala if its available) and crystal clear silver tequila, it surprises me that this classic quaff remains the king of cocktails.

I suspect that when people say they favor margaritas over other bar drinks they're talking about booze that's been whirled in a blender with ice and strawberries or acai nectar, or anything that's been shaken with tequila and poured into a salt-rimmed glass.

But when does a margarita cross the border and stop being a margarita? Is it when it's muddled with mint (julep-style for Kentucky Derby enthusiasts), stirred with chocolate liqueur and cream or mashed with avocado?

“It's pretty much like martinis … anything in a cocktail class is being called a martini,” says Colleen Graham, drink diva for About.com and author of the recently released “¡Hola Tequila!” “The margarita has been adapted because it's recognizable.”

In her mind (and many expert mixologists agree), a margarita must contain tequila, orange liqueur (such as triple sec) and citrus juice, usually lime. Some classic variations (and there are about dozen in her book) call for upgrading to aged or premium tequila or swapping blue Curacao, an intense indigo-hued orange-flavored liqueur, for clear triple sec. Some of her margarita recipes call for infusing tequila with fresh rosemary or lemon grass.

Tequila is one of the fastest-growing spirits categories, growing an average of 5.8 percent a year over the past 10 years, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Put another way, in 2002 tequila sales clocked in at 7.2 million cases; by 2011 that figure jumped to nearly 12 million cases. Super premium, or smooth, aged sipping tequilas, account for some of that growth while flavored tequilas, like La Pinta's pomegranate infusion, have contributed to the spirit's popularity as well.

Graham says she can embrace the movement to augment margaritas as long as the three basics (tequila, orange liqueur and citrus juice) are in the glass, but calling a drink made with rum or vodka a margarita “is totally off the wall in my book.”

Here are a handful of mashed-up margaritas for you to try this Cinco de Mayo season. Tell us your favorite version or share your own mixed-up margarita recipe at facebook.com/debpankey.dailyherald.