The three-ingredient Tommy’s margarita is widely considered a modern classic. But few realize that this simple mix of tequila, agave nectar and fresh lime juice forever altered the course of American cocktail culture—and arguably kickstarted the current craze for agave spirits.
Renowned bartender Tony Abou-Ganim had his first Tommy’s margarita in 1995, a few years after Julio Bermejo created it for his family’s San Francisco restaurant, Tommy’s Mexican. It was the best margarita he’d ever had up until that point. The use of fresh citrus and 100%-agave tequila seemed radical, at the time.
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“Sure, we had Patron, and Herradura, a little El Tesoro, but definitely nowhere close to the selection we have today,” Abou-Ganim says. “Tommy’s was ground zero for 100% agave tequila.”
That’s why many in-the-know mixologists credit the Tommy’s margarita for the rise—and current obsession—with agave spirits in the United States. Here’s everything to know.
What’s the Difference Between a Margarita and a Tommy’s Margarita?
Tommy’s marg notably doesn’t contain orange liqueur, as the restaurant had allegedly cut the essential margarita ingredient from its formula. Losing that element of sweetness, which can easily cover up low-quality ingredients, placed a greater emphasis on the freshness of the citrus and the quality of the tequila. That attention to detail may seem like no big deal today, but was groundbreaking 20-something years ago.
In fact, it was the Tommy’s that inspired Abou-Ganim—one of the pioneers of the modern
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
