This classic, sweet and sour cocktail goes down a treat and even better when you follow the below guidelines practised by bartenders all around the world:

 

Ingredients:

• 60ml 100% Agave Tequila
• 30ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 15ml Agave syrup or 10ml Agave nectar

Method:

• You can optionally add ice to your glass to chill prior to making your Tommy's Margarita. This will slow down dilution of your drink.
• Add Ingredients to a shaker.
• Add ice. The more ice the better, it will be faster and easier to combine and cool your ingredients. 
• Shake firmly for about 20 seconds. The aim here is for the ice to dilute a little to give us drink volume and consistency. Do not over-shake as you will over-dilute your drink. If you aren't sure, simply try a little from the shaker and give it another few seconds if it needs more. 
• Discard of ice in your glass if it has began to dilute. 
• Add ice to your glass if needed.
• Strain your liquid through as you pour into your glass to avoid any ice chips that may have broken off during shaking.
• Garnish with a fresh lime wheel/wedge or just drink without!

Always 100% Agave 

A Tommy's margarita comprises of 3 ingredients; Tequila, Lime & Agave Syrup/Nectar. What's most incredible about this drink is that 2/3 ingredients are traditionally sourced from the one plant!

Using a 100% Tequila is for this reason, extremely important as we will be able to best enhance the delicious flavour profiles that come from such a pure spirit. Not using 100% Agave Tequila means that what you're using is technically a "Mixto" or Mixed Tequila which is actually compromised of only 51% Agave and 49% of any other sugar source and the possibility that it may contain 1% of artificial additives which is something you don't want to be adding, especially to a drink that demands your base spirit to shine through as the hero.

You want your tequila to be as pure as possible to result in the highest quality Tommy's possible that delivers not only the flavour and texture that 100% Agave Tequila delivers but ultimately binds together with your Lime and Agave Syrup/nectar rather than contrasting. 

 

 

Agave Syrup or Nectar Not Sugar

Agave syrup and nectar are both derived from the Agave plant once it has been cooked and crushed. The juices extracted from the plant after it has been crushed are then turned into a nectar which is formed by the cooking down the high concentration of sugars that the juice contains. Agave syrup is then watered down mainly due to how thick and condensed Agave nectar is.

Agave nectar is a dark, amber, golden colour which is t 1.5 times sweeter than cane sugar syrup meaning you need less of it for your Tommy's and as sits only at 19 on the Glycemic Index, it makes Agave nectar a healthier choice.

Using Agave nectar or syrup will not only compliment the flavour profiles of your 100% Agave Tequila, it will create a delicious, silky mouthfeel once shaken due to the density it has over cane sugar syrup.

 

 

Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

If you are about to use or are using the green, squeezy bottle of lime juice bought from your local supermarket, "margarita sour mix" from your local bottle shop or in some cases citric acid... please throw them away because they will absolutely ruin your so far perfect Tommy's Margarita. The only way to go is with fresh limes from your local producer. 

Fresh limes not only add a citrus or "sour" component to your Tommy's, they add colour and sweetness too. The aim with lime is to add an acidity through citrus that's cuts through the sweetness of the Agave syrup/nectar to create a beautiful balance that rings out across your taste buds and brings forward your 100% Agave Tequila.

The colour extracted from hand squeezing the lime will give your Tommy's a vibrant and fresh look that you can't get from other citrus sources. The purpose of using lime is to add citrus as our sour component to create acidity, we don't want to be adding an acid to try an replicate the sour profile of citrus as in most cases this involves some sort of preservative that will not give you the same result and throws of the balance of your drink. 

Lime is easily the second most important component to your recipe.

 

Ice

Ice is an extremely important part of any cocktail served on the rocks as it can affect the texture and taste of your drink. Although we may not always have access to quality ice such as when we go out to our favourite cocktail bars and restaurants there are ways to replicate this at home.

You will need ice for shaking and ice for serving. Cube ice that has been created in your freezer is absolutely fine. If you tend to sit on your cocktail for a while, aren't a fan of ice in your drinks or want something that looks extra special, you can serve your Tommy's without ice or you can purchase an ice-mould to give you one large block which dilutes slower, stays whole and also looks stunning once served. Try your best to stay away from those easy-grab, takeaway bags of ice as they only dilute your cocktail extremely quickly and the ice is sure to break down into annoying little chunks in your drink.