Looking to learn how to make the best classic Tommy’s Margarita cocktail?
Our quick & easy recipe features premium tequila, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, salt rim and lime slice garnish.
We love serving Tommy’s Margarita drinks in the summer at our cottage dock in Muskoka or on a patio in Toronto. On a hot day it’s a truly refreshing boozy beverage!
Save this story to Pinterest!

What Is a Tommy’s Margarita Cocktail?
Tommy’s Margarita is a variant of the original margarita cocktail. It is recognized by the International Bartending Association as a “new era drink.”
Tommy’s Margarita was invented in San Francisco in 1990 by Julio Bermejo at his parents’ restaurant called Tommy’s.
Bermejo had been recently introduced to agave nectar as an ingredient. Although the natural sweetener was expensive at the time, he used it to enhance the agave flavour of the cocktail instead of using Triple Sec to highlight the citrus flavour in the classic margarita recipe.

Travel To Mexico to Taste The Best Tequila
There’s no better way to familiarize yourself with the best Tommy’s Margarita cocktail recipe then by planning a vacation to visit the world’s best tequila distilleries.
As cocktail enthusiasts we’ve traveled the world to visit the best tequila, gin, whiskey and rum distilleries.
We love traveling to Mexico. We’ve sipped tequila muddled cocktails in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Mexico City, Merida, Chichen Itza and Playa del Carmen.
The bar at Four Seasons Mexico City is ranked as one of the best cocktail bars in the country. The creative mixologists behind the Four Seasons bar make classic cocktails, eye-popping modern marvels and refreshing drinks like Tommy’s Margarita.
If you want to learn first hand how tequila is made we suggest planning a trip to Jalisco. All tequila is produced in this state, while other agave-based distilled spirits made outside the region are called mezcal.
On a tequila distillery tour you’ll enjoy a walk through an agave farm, explore the production facility, learn about the distillation process and finish with a tutored tequila tasting. Many distillery tours in Jalisco also feature bars so you can sip a classic Tommy’s Margarita at the end of your visit.

Best Tequila For Cocktails
We recommend sipping a variety of tequila brands in order to find your favourite. Each tequila brand has a unique method for harvesting agave, distilling and aging & barreling the final product.
Here are the world’s top selling tequila brands worthy of being muddled into a Tommy’s Margarita:

Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a swanky Tommy’s Margarita soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.
- Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
- Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
- Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
- Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
- Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
- Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
- Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
- Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
- Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
- Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
- Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
- Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
- Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
- Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
- Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
- Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.

Tommy’s Margarita Ingredients
Our homemade Tommy’s Margarita cocktail is made with fresh, premium ingredients:
- Tequila: we suggest using Cazadores, Cenote or Maestro Dobel Tequila.
- Lime Juice: we always suggest juicing fresh limes as you’ll taste the difference. Do not use store bought lime juice!
- Agave Nectar: can be purchased in health food stores, Mexican grocers and cocktail supply stores.
- Salt: we suggest decorating the rim of your cocktail glass with kosher salt.

Tommy’s Margarita Cocktail Tips
This cocktail recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes.
We love mixing up this Tommy’s Margarita recipe in the hot summer months. The refreshing tequila cocktail is a crowd pleaser at garden parties, family barbecues and cottage cocktail hours.
Our easy Tommy’s Margarita serves one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a punch bowl or jug rather than a cocktail shaker.
We’ve made this drink with a salted rim but if you don’t like salty beverages you can skip this step.
If you’re hosting a Mexican-themed dinner party serve Tommy’s Margarita Cocktails with Nachos, Vegetarian Chipotle Mexican Bean Soup, Cheesy Vegetarian Antojito, Jalapeno Poppers, Chicken Fajita Tacos, Mexican Sweet Potato Rice, and Mexican Queso.

You May Also Enjoy Reading…
- Best Pink Gin Cocktails
- Best Orange Gin & Yellow Gin For Cocktails
- Best Gin Mixers
- Best Gay Cocktail Drinks To Enjoy During Pride
- Exploring the World of Whiskey at Home
- Multnomah Whiskey Library in Portland
- Gay Bars Puerto Vallarta: Best Clubs, Cantinas and Cabarets
- Best Ottawa Cocktail Bars
- Best Cocktail Bars in Rochester
- Best Cocktails Bars in Calgary
- Best Cocktail Bars in Savannah
- Best Luxury Hotel Cocktail Bars in Hong Kong
- 5 Luxury Hotel Cocktail Bars in Manhattan
- Best Bali Bars for Cocktail Lovers
- Toronto’s Best Craft Cocktails at Bar Chef
- Shake Up Healthy Absolut Cocktails While Prancing Through Pride
- Celebrate TIFF by Sipping Cocktails at Toronto’s Best Luxury Hotels
- Splash Into Summer with These Sparkling Citrus Cocktails
- This Christmas Craft Festive Cocktails with Quality Chocolate
- Procreate Tutorial: How To Draw A Bottle
- Aperol Gin Cocktail Drink Recipe
- Gin and Cranberry Juice Cocktail Drink Recipe
- Pomegranate Gin Fizz Cocktail Drink Recipe
- Irish Whiskey Sour Drink Cocktail Recipe
- Healthy Cucumber Gin and Tonic Cocktail Recipe
- Bushmills Cocktail: Irish Whiskey and Apple Juice Recipe

Best Tommy’s Margarita Cocktail Recipe
Tommy’s Margarita Cocktail
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Shot Glass
- Cocktail Glass
- Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
- 2 oz Tequila
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 0.5 oz Agave Nectar
- Kosher Salt rim
- Lime Slice garnish
Instructions
- Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
- In an ice-filled salt-rimmed rocks glass, strain cocktail shaker contents.
- Garnish with lime slice.
Nutrition
Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, Dobbernationloves will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.
Save this story to Pinterest!



