Classic Cocktail: Tommy’s Margarita at Tommy’s Mexican

The winds of fate conspired to once again land us at the birthplace of a seminal local cocktail, after Greg and Debbie suggested checking out Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in the Richmond District of San Francisco. This is the birthplace of the Tommy’s Margarita, which uses agave syrup rather than triple sec as the sweetener in the cocktail.

Greg smartly suggested arriving before opening so we were able to sit at the bar and talk to the bartender. Enrique is third generation member of the family that founded Tommy’s in 1965, and he walked us through the cocktail while preparing drinks and constantly juicing limes. All the staff were super friendly throughout our visit, talking about the history of the venue and showing us mementos and such.

The creator of the Tommy’s Margarita is Julio Bermejo, Enrique’s uncle, and it includes 2 parts of 100% agave tequila, 1 part fresh lime juice, and 1 part of agave syrup (equal parts agave nectar and water). The ingredients are measured in a blender and then shaken with plenty of cubed ice. The cocktail comes ungarnished and if you order a pitcher it makes four cocktails and you save a little off the cost.

This my friends is easy drinking right there! The Tommy’s Margarita was so simple yet had so much flavor that is perfectly balanced. The key is great tequila, but the ice is made with San Francisco water so would be hard to replicate exactly outside the City. And that lime juice is minutes fresh, not stored overnight or juiced hours before service, adding brightness that really makes a difference.

There’s a large selection of tequila here, and the restaurant claims to be the world’s best tequila bar. Enrique walked Greg through a recommended pour, and there’s a tequila club you can join if you visit on weekdays. We also ordered some food and found the dishes to be exemplary. The vibe at Tommy’s was really great, we’re bummed it took us this long to visit. But as they say, better late than never. We will return.

The Ultimate Margarita

It is “National Margarita Day” so why not jump on the bandwagon. I’ve enjoyed tequila more in the past few years, thanks to a healthier appreciation of the vegetal sugar cane juice-based spirts such as Rhum Agricole and Cachaca. I’m guessing even budget Tequila is a lot better than the stuff I grew up on, too. But I like my Tequila in cocktails, not neat. At least not yet.

Tonight I did a little old school UMT shootout, comparing the classic Margarita recipe that uses triple sec orange liqueur as the sweetener to the Tommy’s Margarita that uses agave syrup. In my case I’m using equal parts lime juice to sweetener, though I know that some prefer a little less lime. The Tequila is El Jimador Silver, an affordable brand recommended to me that imparts the classic savory notes I like in a Tequila. Tommy’s calls for a reposado tequila but all I have on hand is blanco.

Classic Margarita
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
2 oz Tequila (El Jimador Silver)
5 drops Saline Solution
Shake with ice and strain into a glass with crushed ice.

Tommy’s Margarita
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Agave Syrup
2 oz Tequila (El Jimador Silver)
5 drops Saline Solution
Shake with ice and strain into a glass with crushed ice.

Of these two I preferred the Tommy’s in that the syrup provided a richer mouthfeel and a lot more sweet flavor. But it didn’t really highlight the spirit or lime. So, I ended up combining these two and it ends up being a lot better overall, letting me taste the lime and tequila but also a bit of the orange too.

Using both sweeteners seems to be the right balance.

“Ultimate” Margarita
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Triple Sec (Cointreau)
½ oz Agave Syrup
2 oz Tequila (El Jimador Silver)
5 drops Saline Solution
Shake with ice and strain into a glass with crushed ice.

Perfect Margarita at Margaritaville, Mall of America

That’s the cocktail name, not a description. The Perfect Margarita is as close to craft as they get at Margaritaville, the themed restaurant chain named from Jimmy Buffett’s most famous song. It is described as “Margaritaville Gold and Silver Tequilas, Margaritaville Triple Sec, Orange Curaçao and lime juice served on the rocks… for margarita aficionados only” though that lime juice is bottled and not fresh. I always order without salt and appreciated that at least this wasn’t blended.

Was this perfect? No, though it was a pretty nice break from the shopping and all the people in the mall. The tequilas used here are fairly mild, which is just fine by me.

Sangria Margarita

I’m in love and I don’t care who knows!

Mrs Mai Tai and I traveled Route 66 from Oklahoma City to Albuquerque (see: @kevincrossman for photos) and landed just before dinner. We are staying at the @elvadoabq Hotel, a historic Route 66 property recent restored.

We walked over to Old Town but it is hot here. Thankfully we found the Church Street Cafe Mexican restaurant and stopped to cool off.

The Pacifico was great but the Sangria Margarita (frozen!!) was truly amazing. Mrs Mai Tai is already sick of me singing the praises of this amazing cocktail. So tasty and the mix of Sangria and traditional lime Margarita is truly transcendent.

Blue Margarita with a View

This is from our oceanfront balcony in Crescent City. The resort here has a working bar so first time on the trip up the coast we are having real cocktails. These are a special here at the resort and are pretty good for what they are.