Name: Tommy's Margarita
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Reposado tequila; 30 ml Lime juice; 15 ml Agave syrup; 4 drop Margarita Bitters

Ingredients

2 fl oz

Patrón Reposado tequila

1 fl oz

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

1/2 fl oz

Agave syrup (agave nectar)

4 drop

Difford's Margarita Bitters (optional)

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lime wedge.

Method

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into ice-filled glass.

Garnish

Garnish with lime wedge.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Tommy's Margarita contains 180 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
16.81% alc./vol. (33.63° proof)
19 grams of pure alcohol

History

Created in circa 1987/88 by Julio Bermejo and named after his family's Mexican restaurant and bar in San Francisco, the self-proclaimed "premier tequila bar on earth".

Tomas and Elmy Bermejo set up Tommy's in 1965 and Julio is one of their five children, all of which are involved in what is truly a family business. Julio has become a legend in the drinks industry for the Tommy's Margarita, his knowledge of tequila and his evangelistic quest to promote good tequila.

Tommy's Margarita now appears on the menus of bars all around the world, and in turn, the small family restaurant where the drink was created has become something of a mecca for bartenders and barflies wanting to experience the now famous cocktail in the bar where it was invented. Their journey is well-rewarded. At Tommy's, the classic Margarita trio of tequila, triple sec and lime is enhanced by using agave syrup in place of the triple sec and hand-squeezed Persian limes. The drink is served accompanied by plentiful tortillas and salsa. The bar's shelves groan with one of the largest selections of 100% agave spirit in the USA, and drinkers are encouraged to sample how different tequilas taste in the bar's signature cocktail.

Margarita cocktail history and variations

Comments & Discussion

Please log in to make a comment

John CARR Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 6 months ago

Loved how the Margarita bitters really pulled the flavours together. For someone who’s not a huge tequila drinker this slipped down VERY easily! Tangy and fresh, but also some lovely mellow notes from the spirit.

Brett West Premium Member Conversation Starter 6 months ago

Brand new minted member here. Has anyone contrasted this with Christine Wiseman's recipe? Thoughts? She essentially just adds 1/2 oz cointreau...

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 6 months ago

Welcome to our community, Brett. Here's a link to our page for Christine Wiseman's Margarita for comments etc. https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/38026/christine-wisemans-margarita

Simon Sedgley Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 3 weeks ago

We were about to post a comment and then noticed yours. We're curious as to why our good host rates this drink more highly than Christine Wiseman's. We love them both but prefer Wiseman's for its brightness and purity of expression, retaining (with the Triple Sec) the Margarita's ancestral link to the Sidecar. For us, Tommy's, using a Reposado and with the increased Agave, is a more solemn drink (if that's possible with a Margarita), enlivened only by the Bitters, which are optional.

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 3 weeks ago

Tommy’s was trendsetting while Wiseman’s is a riff. The Curaçao Margarita is the future:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/39403/curacao-margarita
Don't skip the bitters!

Simon Sedgley, Simon Sedgley Continue thread (2 replies)

Charles Greenfield Appreciated Commenter Conversation Starter 9 months ago

Great Tommys recipe. If you use Monin Coconut Syrup (10-15ml) instead of the Agave and rim the glass with a mix of salt and dessicated coconut, you get an excellent variation

Mephisto Commenter Appreciated Commenter 10 months ago

I simply love this cocktail, it's so balanced and bright, but I really welcome a lil mezcal in it :)

Sterling Diesel Appreciated Commenter Commenter 1 year ago

Simon when you make agave syrup, is it 2:1, 1:1, or what?

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 1 year ago

I don't make agave syrup, I use it undiluted straight from the bottle.

Matt Tench Commenter Appreciated Commenter 4 months ago

FWIW, Julio told me when I visited that they dilute the syrup 1:1 to make it more manageable in service. Unclear if they use 15 or 30ml - I was having too much fun to think to ask.

Simon Difford Continue thread (1 reply)

Florian Ruf Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 1 year ago

This cocktail is simply perfect. I made it in the original version on the rocks with Corralejo Reposado and added 4 drops of saline solution. IMHO if you like the salty effect this is much preferable to adding the salt rim. Next time I will try Simons advice and serve it straight up.

Hunter Newsome Commenter Appreciated Commenter 2 years ago

Pretty lime-forward and a little overly-tart. Can’t taste much tequila under that whole shot of lime juice. I tried with 1/4oz less lime and liked it more, though I suggest increasing the tequila to compensate for the added sweetness.

John CARR Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 6 months ago

Yes I hit the sweet spot somewhere around 20-25ml also. “Your limes may vary”!

Asher Günther Commenter Appreciated Commenter 2 years ago

Small typo - should be „At Tommy's, the classic Margarita trio of tequila, LIME*, and triple sec...“

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 2 years ago

Many thanks, Asher. I've fixed that and a couple of other howlers.

Chris Dimal Commenter Appreciated Commenter 3 years ago

And I thought Margaritas cannot be any better! I agree with Miguel, I slightly (just) prefer this over the standard Margarita. A lot more of the Tequila and Agave, balanced by lime tartness. Truly delectable!

Miguel Perales Premium Member Commenter Appreciated Commenter 3 years ago

I tried Tommy's and The Original Margarita back to back and I would have to say that I like this one slightly more. This one has a more balanced feel and is quite nice to drink.