East Coast Tommy Margarita

2 oz Tequila
1 oz Lime juice
3⁄4 oz Agave syrup (equal parts agave nectar and water)
1 ds Bitters, Angostura
Instructions

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with lime (optional).

Notes

This take on Tommy's Margarita -- which is a margarita that replaces triple sec with the more subtle agave nectar -- simply adds a touch of Angostura bitters to the mix. It seems like a minor modification, but a little bitters goes a long way.

Cocktail summary
Created by
Jackson Cannon of the Hawthorne, Boston
Is an
authentic recipe
Reference

OFF DUTY -Kevin Sintumuang. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). New York, N.Y.:Jun 30, 2012. p. D.1

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Comments

I was discussing this idea of subbing Cointreau for agave syrup with a friend the other night, and I just don't understand the appeal - it's a tequila sour, which is fine and all that, but it's not a Margarita.

Thanks,

Zachary

Dan commented on 3/24/2014:

I agree. I'm all for Jackson Cannon and what he has done for cocktails in the Kendall Square area of Boston, but this steps far enough away from a Margarita as to be a different drink. I Margarita is about the interplay of the pepper of the blanco, the fruit of the triple sec, and the sweet/sour balance of the liqueur and lime. Plus salt of course.

yarm commented on 12/24/2021:

All Jackson did was add bitters. If there is a person to point fingers at, it's Tommy Bermujo who invented what is known now as Tommy's Margarita circa 1987/88 at his family's Mexican restaurant outside of San Francisco that was one of the first American spots to feature high quality tequilas. Tommy's goal was to showcase the beauty of craft agave distillates instead of hide them under an orange liqueur. This was back in an era when horrid mixto tequilas were the norm on bar shelves across the states.

Fred, you are usually bang-on with your history…but I thought this was a Julio Bermejo drink (named for the restaurant and his father).