Tommy's Margarita
100% agave tequila, lime, and agave nectar — Julio Bermejo's 1990s agave-purist Margarita, now IBA-listed.
Tommy's Margarita is a modern Margarita variant developed by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in the Outer Richmond neighbourhood of San Francisco, California, in the early 1990s. The formula substitutes agave nectar (agave syrup) for the traditional triple sec or Cointreau, and specifies 100% agave tequila (not mixto). The recipe: 6 cl 100% agave tequila, 1.5 cl fresh lime juice, 2 cl agave nectar (diluted 1:1 with water). The drink is recognised as an IBA official cocktail since 2011 and is associated with the promotion of 100% agave tequila and the agave-centric approach to Margarita preparation.
Quick facts
- Type
- Modern Recipe
- Base spirits
- 100 percent agave tequila
- Era
- 1990s–present
- Origin
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Glass
- margarita
- IBA listed
- Yes — Official IBA cocktail
Julio Bermejo and the Agave Purist Approach
Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, opened in 1965 on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco's Outer Richmond neighbourhood, became under Julio Bermejo's stewardship in the 1980s–90s an early advocate of 100% agave tequila at a time when the American market was dominated by 'mixto' tequilas (a minimum of 51% agave, the remainder typically sugar cane alcohol). Bermejo's Tommy's Margarita formula eliminated orange liqueur to create a direct agave-lime pairing: the agave nectar sweetener comes from the same plant as the spirit, creating a unified agave flavour profile. The drink was conceived as an argument for tequila's complexity as a craft spirit, not merely a mixer.
100% Agave Tequila vs. Mixto
Mexican tequila regulation (Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-006-SCFI) permits tequila to be made from a minimum of 51% blue agave (Agave tequilana Weber azul) with the remainder from other sugars ('mixto'). 100% agave tequila must be made entirely from blue agave sugars. The flavour difference is substantial: 100% agave tequila has stronger cooked-agave character, more complex vegetal-mineral notes, and less of the harsh alcohol character sometimes associated with mixto. Blanco (unaged) 100% agave tequila in Tommy's Margarita produces a fresh agave-lime drink where the agave character is the central flavour. Agave nectar (raw blue agave sap processed to syrup, typically 1:1 diluted for bar use) has a honeyed-vegetal sweetness distinct from refined cane sugar.
Sources & further reading (2)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-08
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-08
Frequently asked questions
What is agave nectar and how is it made?
Agave nectar (agave syrup) is produced from the agave plant's sap (aguamiel) by extracting the sap from the piña, heating it to break down fructans into fructose and glucose, and concentrating the liquid. The result is a thick, sweet syrup with a mild, slightly caramel-floral flavour. For cocktail use, it is typically diluted 1:1 with water to reduce viscosity. Agave nectar's sweetness comes primarily from fructose, which is sweeter than sucrose, so smaller quantities achieve comparable sweetness to simple syrup.
What is the difference between Tommy's Margarita and a classic Margarita?
The classic Margarita uses triple sec or Cointreau (orange liqueur) for sweetness and orange flavour alongside the tequila and lime. Tommy's Margarita replaces the orange liqueur with agave nectar, eliminating the orange flavour and producing a purer tequila-lime-agave profile. The absence of orange liqueur makes the tequila character more prominent. Tommy's Margarita is not intended to replace the classic but to represent a different design philosophy: agave purity versus citrus-orange complexity.