The Tommy's Margarita recipe
with agave syrup
Fill a tumbler to the rim with ice so the glass is cold when the cocktail is ready.
Measure the tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup into a shaker. Agave syrup is thick, so scrape the jigger completely clean.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake for twelve seconds.
Pour the melted ice water out of the tumbler, top up with fresh ice if necessary, and strain the cocktail into it.
Garnish with a lime wheel.
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The story
Tommy's Margarita originated at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, which Tomas and Elmy Bermejo opened in 1965. Their son Julio Bermejo worked behind the bar and is considered its creator. He replaced the house's cheap mixto tequila with tequila made from 100 percent agave and omitted the triple sec in favor of agave syrup, giving agave the leading role. The recipe emerged in the late 1980s or early 1990s; sources differ on this. Bermejo became one of the best-known advocates of pure agave tequila, and his Margarita traveled around the world with bartenders. The IBA added the drink to its official list in the New Era Drinks category.
The right glass
The IBA calls for a chilled rocks glass filled with ice, and a tumbler is exactly that. The ice keeps the drink cold as you sip, while a little melting water softens the tequila. Choose a tumbler from 30 to 38 cl: large enough for a glass full of ice plus 12 cl of cocktail. A thick base keeps the drink cold longer than thin glass. View our tumbler glasses.
Eclat Longchamp Tumbler 32 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Aria Tumbler 38 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
For a Tommy's Margarita, besides the glass, you need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, and a citrus juicer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 119,80.
What do you make a Tommy's Margarita with?
For a Tommy's Margarita, you need tequila. Well-known bottles include Don Julio Blanco, Patrón, and Casamigos. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The IBA specifies 3 cl of agave syrup, which is on the sweet side. Many bartenders use 1.5 to 2 cl, or dilute the syrup first with an equal amount of water; taste and choose. Using mezcal instead of tequila gives you a smoky version. Two slices of jalapeño in the shaker turn it into a spicy drink, along the lines of the Spicy Margarita. If you want more orange, go for the Grand Margarita.
Serving tip
A salted rim is not part of the IBA recipe, but many people still want one. Salt only half the rim, so everyone can choose with each sip. Roll the limes over the countertop before squeezing them; they will yield more juice.
Good to know
Difference between Tommy's Margarita and Margarita
The classic Margarita is sweetened with triple sec, an orange liqueur, and usually has a salted rim. Tommy's leaves out the liqueur and uses agave syrup for sweetness, following the IBA ratio of 6 cl tequila to 3 cl lime juice and 3 cl syrup. This shifts the flavor from orange to agave: greener, spicier, and rounder. It contains more tequila, but because the liqueur is absent, it does not contain more alcohol overall. The classic Margarita is often served without ice in a margarita glass; Tommy's is always served over ice in a tumbler.
How much agave syrup do you use
The IBA specifies 3 cl for 6 cl tequila and 3 cl lime juice. Agave syrup is sweeter than regular simple syrup, so that amount makes the drink fairly sweet. Start with 2 cl, taste and add more if needed. If the syrup is very thick, first mix it with an equal amount of lukewarm water: it will dissolve more easily in the shaker and you can measure it more precisely. With this diluted syrup, you need 3 cl to achieve the same sweetness as 1.5 cl undiluted.
Which tequila works best
Choose a 100 percent agave blanco. It is unaged and has the bright, spicy agave flavor at the heart of this cocktail. Mixto tequila, with up to 49 percent other sugars, is exactly what Julio Bermejo removed from his restaurant, and you can taste it in the sharp, sugary aftertaste. A reposado makes the drink rounder, with a hint of vanilla from the oak barrels. Well-known blancos include Don Julio Blanco, Patrón Silver and Casamigos Blanco. Añejo is too oaky for a drink centered on fresh agave.
What is agave syrup
Agave syrup, also called agave nectar, is made from the sap of the agave plant, which is filtered, heated and concentrated. It is thinner than honey, sweeter than sugar and has a mild, slightly caramel-like flavor. In this cocktail, it complements the tequila, which is also distilled from agave, rather than introducing a contrasting flavor. You can find agave syrup in the supermarket near the sugar and honey. Choose a light variety; dark agave syrup has a stronger caramel flavor and colors the drink.
Tommy's Margarita for a group
For eight glasses, mix 48 cl tequila, 24 cl fresh lime juice and 16 to 24 cl agave syrup in a pitcher, depending on how sweet you want it. Stir until the syrup has dissolved, then refrigerate the pitcher for at least an hour. Don't squeeze the lime juice more than a few hours in advance. Then briefly shake about 24 cl of the mixture with ice for every two glasses. Alternatively, add 20 cl cold water to the pitcher and pour directly over ice: the water replaces the dilution from shaking. You can find a pitcher among our pitchers.
Making a Tommy's Margarita without a shaker
Take a clean jam jar of at least half a liter with a tightly sealing lid. Add the tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup, fill the jar two-thirds full with ice, and shake as hard as you can for twelve seconds. Strain through a tea strainer over fresh ice in the tumbler. Since this drink is served over ice anyway, you can also make it in the glass if necessary: stir the three ingredients with the ice for twenty seconds. It will be less airy, but remain balanced.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Tommy's Margarita?
A Tommy's Margarita is a Margarita without triple sec: 6 cl of 100 percent agave tequila, 3 cl of fresh lime juice, and 3 cl of agave syrup, shaken and poured over ice. Julio Bermejo created it at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco. The agave syrup brings out the flavor of the tequila more clearly.
What is the difference between a Margarita and a Tommy's Margarita?
A regular Margarita is sweetened with triple sec, an orange liqueur; Tommy's uses agave syrup. As a result, Tommy's tastes less like orange and more like agave. It is always served over ice in a tumbler, and a salted rim is not officially part of it.
Can you replace agave syrup?
Yes, with simple syrup or honey syrup, but then you lose the connection to the agave. Simple syrup is less sweet, so use 2.5 to 3 cl. Mix honey with an equal amount of warm water first; otherwise it will not dissolve in the cold shaker.
Which glass do you use for a Tommy's Margarita?
A 30 to 38 cl tumbler, filled to the rim with ice. This leaves room for the ice and 12 cl of cocktail, keeping the drink cold until the last sip. A heavy glass with a thick base keeps the cold in the longest.
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