Tommy's Margarita

Julio Bermejo, Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, San Francisco, California, 1990. Bermejo created the drink as a response to the false economy of using Cointreau in a Margarita — by eliminating the orange liqueur, he reduced the drink's cost while increasing the quality of its tequila expression. The IBA recognised it as an official cocktail in 2011.

Tommy's Margarita is the 20th century's most important Margarita evolution — tequila, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar (replacing the triple sec entirely), created by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco in 1990. By eliminating the orange liqueur and substituting the tequila's natural sweetener (agave nectar from the same plant), Bermejo completed the agave story and created a cleaner, purer Margarita that allows the tequila's terroir to speak without the interference of Cointreau's orange character. The International Bartenders Association recognised Tommy's Margarita as an Official IBA Cocktail — one of the very few modern cocktails to receive this designation.

FOOD PAIRING: Tommy's Margarita's pure agave-lime clarity pairs with fresh Mexican and citrus-forward preparations. Provenance 1000 pairings: fish tacos with pico de gallo (the cleanest Margarita pairing context), aguachile (lime-cured shrimp — the shared citrus depth is extraordinary), grilled corn with lime and cotija, fresh guacamole with chips, and ceviche.