Tommys Margarita

Blanco tequila, lime, and agave nectar — Julio Bermejo's early 1990s Tommy's formula removing triple sec to let the agave speak, now an IBA Contemporary Classic.

Tommy's Margarita was created by Julio Bermejo at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant — his family's establishment at 5929 Geary Boulevard in the Outer Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco, which has operated since 1965 — in the early 1990s. Bermejo's formula replaced the standard Margarita's triple sec with pure agave nectar, a decision motivated by his conviction that the orange liqueur's dominant sweetness was masking the character of premium 100% agave tequila rather than complementing it. The substitution — 100% agave tequila, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar — produced a drink whose sweetener shared the same agricultural origin as the spirit, allowing the tequila's agave character to be audible without competing with triple sec's orange aromatics. Bermejo simultaneously became one of the most prominent American advocates for premium 100% agave tequila at a time when mixto tequila (which can contain up to 49% non-agave sugars) dominated the American market. The IBA recognized Tommy's Margarita as a Contemporary Classic in its official cocktail list, one of the few modern American creations to achieve this status, acknowledging it as a transformative variation rather than merely a simplified preparation. Bermejo is widely credited with driving the American premium tequila market's growth through his restaurant, his writing, and his industry education work.