Tommy's Margarita Recipe with Casa San Matías
Tommy's Margarita Recipe
Created by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in 1990s San Francisco. Three ingredients, no orange liqueur, all tequila. The Margarita that purists drink.
Ingredients
- Casa San Matías Tequila Gran Reserva (or Blanco)60 ml
- Fresh lime juice30 ml
- Giffard Agave syrup (or pure agave nectar)15 ml
- Garnish: half salt rim, lime wheel—
Method
- Rub a lime wedge around half the rim of an Old Fashioned glass and dip into flaky sea salt.
- Add Casa San Matías tequila, fresh lime juice and Giffard Agave syrup to a shaker.
- Fill with cubed ice and shake hard for 8 to 10 seconds.
- Strain over a single large ice cube in the salt-rimmed glass.
- Garnish with a fresh lime wheel.
Garnish: Half salt rim and lime wheel
Why this works
Julio Bermejo created the Tommy's Margarita at his family's restaurant in San Francisco's Richmond District in the early 1990s. The change from the classic recipe was radical at the time: out went the orange liqueur, in came agave syrup. The result is a drink that lets the tequila lead — clean, citrus-forward, with no competing sweetness fighting the spirit.
Casa San Matías was founded in 1886 in Magdalena, Jalisco, making it one of the oldest continuously operating tequila houses in Mexico. The Gran Reserva extra-añejo carries 38–40% ABV, with butter, ripe fruit, chocolate and toasted almond on the nose — those notes amplify in a Tommy's build because there's no sweet liqueur masking them. For a brighter, sharper version use the Blanco; the Gran Reserva turns the drink into a sipper.
Bartender tips
Pure agave nectar works as a 1:1 swap for the Giffard Agave syrup — both are correct. The shake should be brisk and short; over-shaking dilutes a drink that depends on agave-sweet intensity. Salt rim is half-only, always, so the drinker can choose. If you want to add a smoky variant, replace 15 ml of the tequila with a peated mezcal.
Featured products
Casa San Matías Gran Reserva
Extra añejo tequila, butter and ripe fruit on the nose. Drink the Tommy's with this when it's the only drink of the night.
Shop the bottlePueblo Viejo Blanco
Made by Casa San Matías. Clean, peppery, the everyday Tommy's option.
Shop the bottleGiffard Agave Syrup
Pure agave-based syrup — same sugar source as the tequila itself. The right sweetener for any tequila build.
Shop the bottleFAQ
Can I use a regular Margarita with triple sec instead?
Yes — that's the classic build. The Tommy's is the variation; a 1953 Esquire-printed Margarita uses tequila, triple sec and lime in 3:1:1 ratio. We stock Giffard Triple Sec for the classic version.
What's the difference between agave syrup and agave nectar?
Practically nothing in cocktail context. Agave nectar is sold neat (very concentrated) and agave syrup is sometimes pre-diluted 2:1 with water. The Giffard product is bar-ready at the dilution you want.
Is it sweet?
Far less than a classic Margarita. The lime carries the drink; the agave syrup is structural rather than flavour-leading.
Should I shake or stir?
Shake. There's enough citrus that the drink needs aeration. A stirred Margarita is technically a Margarita Old-Fashioned — a different drink entirely.