Which tequila should I use for a Margarita? Given that the Margarita was the most popular cocktail last year, this is a question on the lips of many a drinks lover. From bargain bottles that produce knockout cocktails to top-end master mixes, these are tequilas guaranteed to bring the oomph needed to your Margaritas!
Best Bargain Tequilas
El Sueño Tequila Silver
The result of five generations of tequila producers, this is a really top cocktail tequila. Don’t be put off by the fact it’s a ‘mixto’ (not 100% agave), this beats many ‘purer’ brands hands down. After the 70% agave, 30% is locally grown sustainable piloncillo which provides a nice sweetness. The vegetal agave note is expectedly subtle with lovely grapefruit hints and overall, El Sueño represents top-notch value in a Margarita.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £21.90
Tapatio Blanco Tequila
Tapatio is much loved among tequila drinkers because it’s largely unchanged since the 1930s, and for a silver tequila it’s the gold standard for value. Made traditionally, it’s brimming with blanco character; think raw agave, a little citrus, earthiness, and pepper. It’s intense so will more than hold its own in a Margarita. Iconic.
Size: UK 500ml / US 1L
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £23.39 / US $43.99
El Espolòn Blanco Tequila
Cirilo Oropeza is a hugely respected distiller producing fantastic tequila in the Jalisco highlands and you’ll often see this bottle used by mixologists. The pure agave goes straight to bottling without aging, retaining fresh agave up front and centre, supported by a pleasant sweetness and floral undertone. We’ve praised their bottle before but it’s a Day of the Dead skeleton riding rooster so we have to point it out again. Now that’s a bottle you want to see coming out for the Margaritas.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26.49
The Butterfly Cannon Blue
As if the beautifully designed bottle isn’t enough to win you over, the aesthetics carry over to the liquid itself with the vivid blue hue changing colour once mixed! If that’s still not convinced you, then every purchase also supports butterfly conservation! Still no?! Prickly pears and clementines support punchy agave flavour with added complexity from strawberry, melon and fig. This is a tequila that has so much going for it and is simply stunning in a Margarita.
Size: UK 500ml / US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £29.04 / US $27.99
Mid-tier
AquaRiva Blanco
This super smooth Blanco uses 100% Blue Weber agave grown in the volcanic soil of the Jalisco highlands. The nose has an intriguing tang which opens up into a surprisingly herbal and peppery palate that’s super crisp and zesty. There’s a sharpness to this Blanco that really stands out and makes for an intense Margarita. Top-notch for the price.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £31.74
1800 Silver Tequila
The eye-catching bottle based off the Mayan pyramids puts a lot of pressure on the liquid inside, and it lives up to it. Double distilled and blended with an array of white tequilas, the result is a seriously well-rounded profile that is delicate, floral, fruity and herbal and all whilst being refreshing and silky smooth. It’s exceptional and between you and me, tequila lovers would probably pay more for the quality but let’s not tell 1800 that! It brings so much depth of flavour to a Margarita..
Size: UK 700ml / US 750ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: UK £33.99 / US $28.99
Top end
VIVIR Tequila Reposado
Vivir roughly translates as, ‘to live’ from Spanish and if you’re lucky enough to use this in your Margarita then you are well and truly living your best life. It’s a gorgeous bottle of buttery and caramelly reposado from the 6 months of bourbon oak cask aging. There’s a really lovely vanilla hint too, but don’t think that all of this overpowers the agave – that remains front and centre and anchors everything with vegetal earthiness. A benchmark premium reposado that will transform a Margarita to a whole new level.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £43.95
Código 1530 Rosa
If you’re a seasoned Margarita drinker then you might want to mix it up a little bit. If this is the case, this is the tequila for you. Bright berry notes shine through due to aging in ex-Napa Cabernet wine barrels which works amazingly well with the smooth and earthy tequila. It looks and tastes incredible and will make you a floral pink-hue Margarita, unlike anything you’ve tried before.
Size: UK 700ml / US 750ml
ABV: 35%
Find here: UK £46.24 / US $60.99
Truth be told, you would be more than happy sipping away at most of the above bottles, but if a classic Margarita isn’t doing it for you, then check out The Best Sipping Tequilas for a completely different but still equally magical experience!