Our Altos Ginger Margarita: The Ginger Tommy´s

A Bold, Spicy Take on the Classic Margarita

There are few cocktails in the world that inspire quite the same devotion as a margarita. At any moment, someone somewhere is raising a glass to this timeless drink and its cultural reach is so significant that it has its very own dedicated holiday on the 22nd of February.

But if you’re a margarita enthusiast looking for something with a sharper edge, this ginger margarita is the upgrade your drinks cabinet has been waiting for. Blending tequila with freshly squeezed lime juice, agave syrup, and the warming heat of ginger, it’s a beautifully balanced tequila ginger cocktail with a gentle, spiced finish. Think of it as a more adventurous evolution of the Classic Tommy’s Margarita one that layers in extra complexity while keeping the whole thing wonderfully easy to make. Incorporating a homemade ginger syrup into cocktails like this is what truly sets this recipe apart from the ordinary.

Tommy’s Margarita swaps out triple sec in favour of agave syrup, which produces a cleaner, more natural sweetness and a noticeably lighter, more harmonious result in the glass.

How to Make Your Own Ginger Syrup for Cocktails

Ginger is one of those ingredients that rewards every use, from warming teas to bold herbal preparations, its versatility is remarkable. Making your own ginger syrup for cocktails does require a little effort, but the results are well worth it, and you’ll find yourself reaching for it time and again.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup peeled fresh ginger, sliced into rounds
• 3/4 cup sugar or sweetener of your choice
• 3/4 cup water

Method

1. Pour the sweetener and water into a small saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil over a medium heat.
3. Reduce the heat and add the ginger slices.
4. Leave to simmer gently for around 20 minutes.
5. Strain into an airtight container and keep the remainder for future use.

If you’d rather skip the hob altogether, simply combine fresh ginger juice with caster sugar in a 2:1 ratio for a quick, no-cook alternative.

Exciting Variations on This Tequila and Ginger Cocktail

The appeal of combining tequila and ginger has inspired a whole family of recipe variations, each one worth exploring. Here are some of our favourites, one of them might just become your new signature serve.

Beyond margaritas, we also have a Paloma recipe with Ginger and Strawberry, a ginger beer cocktail recipe built on the bones of a traditional Paloma.

Ginger Beer Margarita

Ginger beer is more versatile than many give it credit for, and this recipe is proof. Its spiced fizz softens beautifully against the agave-driven warmth of tequila, making for one of those ginger beer cocktail recipes that genuinely delivers on every level.

Ingredients

• 50ml Tequila Altos Plata, 100% agave
• 20ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 30ml agave syrup
• 60ml ginger beer to top

Method

1. Combine the tequila, lime juice and agave syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake well, then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
3. Top up with ginger beer.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel and a dash of aromatic bitters.

Pro tip: always add the ginger beer after shaking, never before, to preserve its fizz.

Tommy’s Chilli Margarita with Ginger

Chilli and ginger together mean one thing: heat in every sense. Whether you’re after something to cool you down on a sweltering afternoon or warm you from the inside on a grey winter’s day, this spiced ginger liqueur cocktail-inspired Margarita is always the right call.

Ingredients

• 50ml Tequila Altos Plata
• 1/4 lemon drop chilli, deseeded
• 1/4 scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded
• 1/4 jalapeño chilli, deseeded
• 25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 20ml sugar syrup or sweetener of choice
• A 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger root for an extra kick

Method

1. Steep the chillies in the tequila and leave to infuse for around 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the ginger with the lemon juice and infuse for the same amount of time.
3. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
4. Strain the infused tequila into the shaker, then add the ginger-infused lemon juice.
5. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker feels thoroughly chilled.
6. Double-strain into a chilled, salt-rimmed glass.

Ginger and Mint Margarita

The natural heat of ginger brings a tantalising edge to this Margarita, while fresh mint keeps everything pleasantly aromatic and balanced.

Ingredients

• 50ml Tequila Altos Plata, 100% agave
• 20ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 30ml Cointreau, or agave syrup for a Tommy’s-style version
• 2 slices of fresh ginger
• 5 fresh mint leaves

Method

1. Muddle the ginger and mint together in a cocktail shaker to draw out their flavours.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice.
3. Shake thoroughly until well chilled.
4. Fine-strain into a chilled glass.
5. Garnish with an orange twist or your preferred decoration.

Spicy Ginger Margarita

A margarita recipe that goes the extra mile on heat, this one’s for those who like their cocktails with a proper kick, achieved with the addition of fresh jalapeño.

Ingredients

• 60 ml blanco tequila
• 1½ tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• Lime wedges
• 1 tsp finely minced jalapeño chilli, plus extra slices to garnish
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 1½ tbsp orange liqueur
• 2 tbsp simple syrup or sweetener of choice
• 2 tbsp sea salt and 1 tbsp lime zest for the rim

Method

1. Combine the sea salt and lime zest on a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip to coat.
2. Muddle the jalapeño and ginger in a cocktail shaker.
3. Add the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur and syrup, then fill with ice.
4. Shake vigorously and strain into the prepared glass.
5. Garnish with lime wedges and jalapeño slices as desired.

Honey-Ginger Mint Margarita

Fresh, cooling and utterly delicious, this is the margarita recipe for warmer days, built around a honey-ginger syrup that’s as useful in other ginger syrup cocktails as it is here.

Ingredients

• 8 fresh mint leaves
• 3 oz 100% agave silver tequila (Olmeca Altos Plata works beautifully here)
• 2 tbsp honey-ginger simple syrup (see below)
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime, plus more to taste
• Salt for the rim

For the honey-ginger syrup:

1. Combine 1 cup honey and 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce the heat and add fresh ginger, sliced into rounds.
3. Simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Strain out the ginger and leave the syrup to cool before using.

To make the Margaritas:

1. Muddle the mint leaves to release their aroma.
2. Add the tequila, syrup and lime juice.
3. Fill with ice and shake well.
4. Strain into salt-rimmed glasses, garnish, and enjoy.

Ginger Berry Margarita

Fruity, fiery and visually stunning, this easy tequila cocktail is as impressive to look at as it is to drink.

Ingredients

• 60 ml Altos Reposado
• 15 ml simple syrup
• 6–8 blueberries
• Ginger beer
• Lime slices (optional)

Method

• Finish with a generous splash of ginger beer.
• Muddle the blueberries in a cocktail shaker.
• Add the tequila and simple syrup.
• Shake with ice until thoroughly combined.
• Strain into a salt-rimmed glass.
• Add lime slices if desired.

What Time of Year Calls for a Ginger Margarita?

Whether the temperature is dropping and you’re after something to chase away the chill, or autumn has arrived and you’re craving a cocktail with a little more personality, the Ginger Tommy’s Margarita is precisely what you need. Bright, citrus-forward, and carrying a pleasing warmth from the ginger, this is one of those ginger syrup cocktails that genuinely earns its place on any seasonal drinks list, as satisfying to sip in October as it is in the depths of December.

The foundation of any outstanding Margarita, however, is the tequila, and that’s where quality becomes non-negotiable. Olmeca Altos Plata has earned consistent recognition at some of the most respected spirits competitions in the world, from the San Francisco Spirits Competition to the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, cementing its reputation as a premium choice for this easy tequila cocktail and beyond.

It’s also the go-to tequila for Margaritas among many of the world’s top bartenders, professionals who know that the right base spirit is what separates a good cocktail from a truly memorable one. If you’re ready to take your tequila and ginger combinations to the next level, Olmeca Altos 100% agave tequila is the place to start.