The Hibiscus Tommy’s Is Better Than “The Best” Margarita

Recently, I learned how to make a proper Tommy’s Margarita, and a variation on the classic—the Hibiscus Tommy’s. It was the best margarita that I have ever had.

Better than all the “best” margaritas that I have had the pleasure of drinking, and I made it myself. As soon as I tasted it, I knew that I had to share it in time for National Margarita Day which is Monday, February 22.  

Before there was the Skinny Margarita, there was Tommy’s Margarita. Created in the early 1990s by Julio Bermejo at his family’s restaurant, Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant, in San Francisco, it is considered by bartenders to be the modern classic. When Julio created the Tommy’s Margarita, he decided to ditch the orange liqueur and sweeten the lime juice with sugar from the agave plant—the same plant that produces tequila.  The resulting margarita is simple; tequila, fresh lime juice and agave syrup. It highlights the natural properties of the tequila and should be made with your favorite 100% blue agave spirit.  

A bright pinky-red hibiscus or “flor de jamaica” margarita is my favorite and I have mostly enjoyed it in Mexico. When I’ve tried to make it myself with a homemade hibiscus syrup, it is too sweet and not tart enough.  

That all changed when Santera tequila ambassador Nate Fishman demonstrated the trick to making my favorite margarita—a tea bag. 

He asked us to pour 2 ounces of Blanco tequila in a glass and place a hibiscus tea bag in the tequila. It couldn’t have been easier, and in a matter of minutes, the tea infused the tequila with pure hibiscus flavor.  

The rest of the drink went together in less time than it took the tequila to infuse. The hibiscus tequila, agave syrup and fresh lime juice went into a shaker filled with ice and after a vigorous shake or two, it was ready to strain into a fresh glass of ice. I learned an important rule of thumb while we were shaking. Nate’s rule is that any cocktail that includes citrus is shaken because citrus needs dilution and aeration.  So, if you are like me and didn’t know which drinks should be shaken and not stirred, now you do.

In addition to being a brand ambassador, Nate Fishman is a long-time bartender and a team member of Liquor Lab.  He also has a lot of experience in tea.  When Liquor Lab classes went virtual, he started looking for non-perishable ways to create flavor for his cocktails and realized that tea bags were a natural.

“When Liquor Lab classes went virtual, we had to shift to ingredients that could be easily mailed in cocktail kits, and I stumbled on using tea to add depth of flavor and freshness,” explained Fishman.

Infusing spirits with tea bags is a game changer because the natural flavors—like hibiscus—are not diluted with water or sugar. The technique makes an exceptional hibiscus margarita and the alcohol is a perfect vehicle for the infusion.  If hibiscus isn’t your thing, you could do this with different fruity tea bags; a zesty orange or sweet raspberry would also make a refreshing margarita.

Hibiscus Tommy’s Margarita—recipe adapted from Nate Fishman

Santera Blanco is a small-batch tequila made from 100% blue agave grown in the red volcanic soil of the dormant Volcano in the northern highlands of Jalisco. The resulting tequila is crystal clear with fresh clean taste that is perfect for infusing.

Makes 1 drink 

 2         ounces Santera Blanco

1          teabag of pure hibiscus—not a mix 

1          ounce agave syrup 

1          ounce fresh lime juice

Infuse tequila with a hibiscus tea bag for 2-3 minutes or until deeply colored.  Make agave syrup by mixing ¼ cup or equal parts agave nectar and ¼ cup filtered water.  Mix until dissolved and refrigerate up to two weeks.

Add all ingredients to the cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh lime. 

Tommy’s Margarita—recipe adapted from Nate Fishman

This cocktail is legendary among bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts and is referred to as the “modern classic” margarita. It was created by Julio Bermejo, proprietor of his family’s restaurant, Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco. 

Makes 1 drink

2          ounces Santera Reposado 

1          ounce  agave syrup*

1          ounce fresh lime juice 

Add all ingredients to the cocktail shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh lime. 

*Make agave syrup by mixing ¼ cup or equal parts agave nectar and ¼ cup filtered water.  Mix until dissolved and refrigerate up to two weeks.