Surprisingly, the Late Jimmy Buffett Didn't Drink Margaritas

Jimmy Buffett, the beloved American singer-songwriter who captured the hearts of beach dwellers, treasure hunters and boat captains everywhere, made a pretty sweet life around the folklore of his music. While unfortunate, his unfortunate passing at the age of 76, only further solidified the legend that he had manifested through his “5 o’clock somewhere” lifestyle. And for a man who made loads of cash off of that loose and fun lifestyle, it's easy to assume his life had been a party up until the very end — one that included plenty of margaritas.

Related: Jimmy Buffett's Sister Gives Insight Into Late Singer's Final Days

Despite his brief uncredited cameo in 2015's Jurassic World, where he double-fisted margaritas while running from pterodactyls, the man who made millions off of his signature drink wasn't exactly sipping on margaritas as the years progressed. According to a 2020 USA Today article, the Margaritaville founder admitted that he had since changed his drinking habits over the years. “Margaritas have gotten very sweet,” he said, “I like real lime juice; I don’t like a lot of sugar.” He went on to describe once seeing a Redneck Margarita — a drink that featured Mountain Dew and bad tequila — to which he said, “That’s way too far, I’d never do that.”

In exchange for the drink whose name made him millions, Buffett let the cat out of the bag that he prefers, “a good tequila and a lime.” The simple, yet refined version of a margarita seems like a fitting choice for the late singer-songwriter. It serves as a little nugget of happiness, assuring us all that even in his final days, Jimmy stayed true to his words: If life gives you lemons, make margaritas. This one's for you, Jimmy.

Up next: Honor Jimmy Buffett By Making the Original Cheeseburger in Paradise.