The Tommy's Margarita removes the orange liqueur entirely, sweetening instead with agave syrup. With nothing standing between the drinker and the spirit, it becomes a pure expression of tequila, lime, and agave — and an IBA-recognised modern classic.
The Margarita, with everything that isn't tequila taken away.
Born at Tommy's
The drink was created in 1990 by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco — a family business that became, improbably, one of the world's great tequila bars. Bermejo's insistence on 100% agave tequila helped change how Americans drink the spirit; agave syrup in place of triple sec is the change that defines this variation.
Why Agave, Not Triple Sec
Orange liqueur sweetens the classic Margarita, but it also adds its own flavour. Agave syrup sweetens without intruding — it is, after all, drawn from the same plant the tequila is made from. The result is a drink that tastes more of tequila than any other Margarita.
100% Agave, Always
With the liqueur gone, the tequila has nowhere to hide. A 100% agave blanco is non-negotiable here — a mixto, cut with other sugars, produces a thin and faintly harsh drink. This is the Margarita that rewards a good bottle.
The Margarita Family
The benchmark — tequila, lime, and orange liqueur, shaken hard with a salted rim.
- 2 ozBlanco tequila
- 1 ozLime juice
- 3/4 ozTriple sec
Mezcal for the tequila — the Margarita's structure unchanged, its personality remade.
- 2 ozMezcal
- 3/4 ozTriple sec
- 3/4 ozLime juice
Fresh jalapeño muddled in — heat that sharpens the lime and deepens the drink.
- 2 ozBlanco tequila
- 3/4 ozTriple sec
- 2–3 slicesJalapeño
Grand Marnier for the triple sec — the top-shelf Margarita, richer and deeper.
- 2 ozReposado tequila
- 3/4 ozGrand Marnier
- 3/4 ozLime juice