Real men drink margaritas. They drink them frozen, and they drink them fruity. Perhaps they fall short of requesting umbrellas or funny glasses, but the males of the nineties no longer assert their masculinity with drinks that only come in long necked amber bottles or in highball glasses. No, today, they order drinks named after girls.

At least, that's what Andrew, the bartender at Boston restaurant Fajitas and 'Ritas (the 'ritas short for margaritas, 'natch), says. He is at the moment serving up a frozen raspberry tequila-based concoction, which, save for the fact that it does not come in a giant plastic cup, looks for all the world like a cherry slurpee. It's benign tasting, sweet with not too much alcohol flavor -- the main wallop it packs is the temporary brain freeze that results from sucking it down too quickly.

Some consider this the quintessential margarita experience. Others balk. People get very picky about their margarita preferences, whether they're drinking them or making them. Some folks blanch at the idea of using anything other than freshly squeezed lime juice. Others swear by sour mix. Some think that anything without an element of sodium isn't the real thing. Others recoil from the notion of grinding a perfectly good drinking glass into coarse salt. Fortunately at 'Ritas, every possible combination is offered and treated with respect -- customers tick off their preferences on the drinks menu and are delivered a libation that meets their exact specifications. There's even a check box for straight up, if patrons prefer their tequila room temperature.

Any of these versions can call themselves margarita, but where did the name come from? Who was the original inspiration behind the drink? She may have been a wealthy forties-era Mexican matron named Margarita, a woman who threw fabulous parties and loved experimenting behind the bar. She may have been a Hollywood starlet named Marjorie, for whom an admiring bartender paid homage with a Latinized version of her name. Or margarita may not have been a woman at all, and the drink might have been christened with the Spanish name for daisy as a nouvelle twist on a cocktail called the magnolia. Legends abound. All that's certain is the drink that's as loose and lazy as a dip in the ocean has been a favorite for over fifty years. Less stuffy than a martini, not as frou-frou as a pina colada, it's as much at home at a big city happy hour as it is on the beach.

The frozen raspberry margarita Andrew created this evening is okay, but it tastes more like a dessert than a drink. And somehow, pouring so much sweetness down one's throat as an accompaniment to fiery Mexican food seems wrong wrong wrong. "Here," Andrew says, thunking a short, weighty glass on the table, "try this. It's a Conmemorativo margarita." Conmemorativo seems rather ironically named, since one sip suggests that it wouldn't take too many of these to make for an evening one wouldn't remember the next day. Made from Conmemorativo Sauza, lime juice, and a splash of Cointreau and served on the rocks, it stands up to the Latin cuisine, daring the drinker -- "Bring on the jalapenos! Extra {glossRename ("digest:region:mexico:salsa", "salsa")} all around!" It's smooth and strong and not in the least bit cloying. It slides down easily, taking a few grains of salt from the rim of the glass along the way. Now This feels like a real margarita.

But frozen, on the rocks, straight up, plain, fruity, salty, fresh limes, lime juice, sour mix -- it doesn't really matter. And whether it's named for a flower or a showgirl or a socialite -- it doesn't change the devotion of those who thirst for a mental vacation south of the border. Real men -- and real women -- know the important elements -- a little lime, a little tequila, and a toast the magic of the fabled margarita.

Basic Margarita

• One part tequila (Andrew prefers Sauza, but any good agave will do)
• One part freshly squeezed lime juice
• One part Cointreau

Mix, pour over ice. Serve with fresh lime wedges.

Fajitas & 'Ritas: 25 West St. Boston, MA (617) 426-1222