Margarita cocktail
Credit: The Washington Post / Getty Images
(Image credit: The Washington Post / Getty Images)

Who invented the Margarita? Well no-one knows fore sure… The recipe – a simple mix of tequila, lime juice and triple sec – first appeared in print in the December 1953 issue of Esquire magazine. But who created it and who it was named for have been debated by cocktail historians for decades.

Perhaps it doesn’t matter. Whoever first mixed a Margarita, today it’s acknowledged as a classic cocktail and known the world over.

It’s a supremely versatile mix that can be served straight up (without ice) in a fancy Martini glass or coupe. Or enjoy it over ice in a short rocks glass if you prefer, making it a drink for any occasion.

The original recipe was given a far-reaching makeover in the late 1980s by Julio Bermejo, beverage manager at the now-iconic Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, founded by his parents in 1965. Bermejo simply replaced the triple sec with agave syrup, an ingredient that helps to ramp up the agave flavours in the tequila and produces a cocktail with perfect balance of sweet and sharp flavours.

You’ll find both recipes below, along with a selection of tequilas that will work brilliantly – whichever version of a Margarita you choose to make. Enjoy!

Making a Margarita cocktail

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

How to make a classic Margarita

Glass: Cocktail glass or rocks glass

Garnish: Salt rim and lime wedge

Method: Sprinkle a few teaspoons of salt over a small plate. Rub a wedge of lime along the rim of your glass and then dip it into the salt so that the entire rim is covered. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the tequila, lime juice and triple sec. Shake until your hands feel cold. Strain into your prepared glass; if you’re using a rocks glass, fill it with fresh ice and garnish with a wedge of lime.

Ingredients: 50ml tequila, 25ml lime juice, 20ml triple sec (eg Cointreau)

Margarita cocktail

(Image credit: David Cabrera Navarro / Alamy)

How to make a Tommy’s Margarita

Glass: Rocks glass

Garnish: Lime wedge

Method: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the tequila, lime juice and agave syrup. Shake until your hands feel cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a wedge of lime.

Ingredients: 50ml tequila, 25ml lime juice, 12.5ml agave syrup

Tommys-Margarita-GettyImages-1301503961.jpg

(Image credit: bhofack2 / iStock / Getty Images Plus)

Best tequila for a Margarita: 10 to try

Recommended by Laura Foster & Julie Sheppard

Corralejo Blanco

While the majority of tequila is produced in the state of Jalisco, some municipalities in other states are also allowed to make this spirit. One of these other states is Guanajuato, and this is where Corralejo is based. Its Blanco is a creamy, citrusy tequila with flavours of lime zest, agave syrup, zippy white pepper, pencil shavings and vanilla, which accentuate the lime and agave flavours in a Margarita. LF Alc 38%

Don Julio Blanco

This distinctive short, rounded bottle was designed by the tequila’s creator Don Julio González-Frausto Estrada to allow his guests to see each other over its top as they drank together around the dinner table. Inside the bottle is a classic blanco tequila with notes of lemon and lime zest that make a zingy Margarita, balanced with hints of vanilla pastry, mineral earthiness and spicy black pepper. JS Alc 38%

El Tequileno Blanco

Founded in 1959, El Tequileno is made with volcanic spring water and agave from the highlands of Jalisco. This Blanco is a tequila of two halves: zippy and fresh up front, before the palate takes a deeper turn with toast, brown butter, marmalade and banana chips. LF Alc 38%

Herradura Plata

Notes of fresh and cooked agave combine to make Herradura a winning choice for a Margarita, backed by hints of orange oil, vanilla, almonds and deeper woody tones from its 45 days in barrel, which also lend the tequila a light straw colour. The beautiful grounds of the large Herradura distillery are home to over 16 types of fruit tree, which add their natural yeasts to the open-top fermenters to kickstart fermentation of the agave juice. JS Alc 40%

Ocho Plata Single Estate

Each batch of Ocho is made from agave grown on a single estate in a single harvest to highlight the role that terroir and vintage can play in tequila. Check on the label to see the particular estate and year. Because of this variation, each batch tastes slightly different, but there is a house signature of agave-forward flavours and spiciness that lends itself well to citrus-forward cocktails such as the Margarita. JS Alc 40%

Olmeca Altos Plata

Created in 2009 by Master Distiller Jesús Hernández and leading London bartenders Dre Masso and the late Henry Besant, this is a perfect choice for cocktails. Adds delicious notes of lime zest, lime pickle, lemon sorbet and a crisp green pepper herbaceousness to your Margarita. JS Alc 38%

Patron Silver

Considered to be the first ultra-premium tequila brand, Patrón is undoubtedly a big name in agave. But its products are made in relatively small batches, thanks to a production process that includes the use of small stills. Inside each distinctive cork-stoppered bottle you’ll find a smooth and creamy tequila with distinctive vegetal agave character, layered against notes of lemon peel and peppery spice. JS Alc 40%

Tapatio Blanco

Made by the inimitable Carlos Camarena at his distillery in the Highlands of Jalisco, this Blanco tequila is a great cocktail all-rounder. Clear agave characters sing through, combined with Camarena’s signature peppery, spicy notes of white pepper and clove. A gentle sweetness and pleasing citrus bouquet lend themselves well to Margaritas. LF Alc 40%

Teremana Blanco

Launched in 2020 and produced in the small town of Jesús María in the highlands of Jalisco, this small-batch tequila is owned by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. With subtle agave sweetness, plenty of fresh citrus notes, vanilla and red chilli spice, it makes a well-balanced Margarita, with a celebrity seal of approval. JS Alc 40%

Vivir Blanco

Vivir is produced at Casa Maestri, a fifth generation-owned distillery in Jalisco. Its premium range of 100% agave tequilas are made using sustainable practices and its estate-grown agave. The Blanco is an iron fist of agave in a velvet glove, with sweet angel cake and liquorice root carried on a fresh, chalky body. LF Alc 40%

Beyond the Margarita: Cocktails to make at home

Trophy tequilas: six to seek out

The best blanco tequilas: 12 to try

Julie Sheppard
Julie Sheppard
Regional Editor for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa & Spirits Editor

Julie Sheppard joined the Decanter team in 2018 and is Regional Editor for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa & Spirits Editor.

Before Decanter, she worked for a range of drinks and food titles, including as managing editor of both Imbibe and Square Meal, associate publisher of The Drinks Business, senior editor of the Octopus Publishing Group and Supplements editor of Harpers Wine & Spirit. As a contributor, she has over 20 years’ experience writing about food, drink and travel for a wide range of publications, including Condé Nast Traveller, Delicious, Waitrose Kitchen, Waitrose Drinks, Time Out and national newspapers including The Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

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