Tommy's Margarita
A clean, tart, agave-sweet Margarita without triple sec, letting the tequila speak for itself.
Ingredients
- Blanco tequila, ideally 100% agave60 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed30 ml
- Agave syrup, light agave syrup15 ml
- Salt, for a salt rim, optional (optional)1 pinch
- Lime, to garnish (optional)1 wedge
Method
- Chill the glass in the freezer for a few minutes and, if you like, give it a salt rim with a lime wedge and coarse salt.
- Pour the tequila, fresh lime juice and agave syrup into a shaker with plenty of ice.
- Shake hard for 10–15 seconds, until the shaker is ice cold on the outside.
- Strain into the prepared glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel.
Credit Julio Bermejo, Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, San Francisco
About this drink
Julio Bermejo created this version at his family's restaurant, Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, around the turn of the 1990s. By replacing the classic Margarita's orange liqueur with agave syrup, he put the tequila's own sweetness and earthy character centre stage. The drink has since been recognised by the IBA as a 'new era' cocktail and is seen by many as the honest, stripped-back Margarita.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a Tommy's Margarita and a classic Margarita?
No orange liqueur: agave syrup replaces the Cointreau, giving a cleaner, more agave-forward drink with less sweetness and complexity than the original.
Which tequila suits a Tommy's Margarita?
A blanco with a clear, peppery agave profile is the standard. Clean tequila flavour is exactly what the drink is built to show.
Why has the Tommy's Margarita become so popular with bartenders?
With only three ingredients, it is easy to remember and impossible to hide poor tequila in. If the spirit isn't good, the syrup and lime can't cover it.
