Margarita Mastery: How the Experts Shake Things Up

Carriqui's La Picosita Margarita features chile-infused tequila, lime, angostura bitters, and wildflower honey.

Shake things up at home—literally—with insider secrets from the margarita masters behind San Antonio’s top margarita spots!

Whether you like your margarita classic, spicy, frozen, or with a fruity twist, we tapped into the wisdom of bartenders from ‘Salt, Lime & Everything Nice’ Food Trail restaurants to bring you expert tips for crafting the perfect margarita right in your own kitchen. 

The San Antonio Food Trails are a curated guide to the most mouthwatering margaritas, tacos, burgers, barbecue, and best bars in the city! Handpicked by food experts who know great taste when they find it, each trail features ten locally-owned spots that have a reputation for consistently providing exceptional service, outstanding food and overall excellence. Read more about the Trails here.

From salt rims to secret ingredients, get ready to mix like a pro and impress your guests with every pour.

Tenured Carriqui (239 E. Grayson St., carriquitx.com) bartender Issac Martinez swears by using 100% blue agave spirits and fresh lime juice for the summer staple.

Tenured Carriqui bartender Issac Martinez presents his take on the classic margarita.

“I would suggest freshly squeezing limes, almost to order, so that the juice is as fresh as possible,” he said. “I also add a pinch of salt to the actual shaker. It gives your margarita an extra layer of flavor and adds a bit of silky mouthfeel.”

In Southtown, bartender Austin Garcia at Casa Hernán Mexican Cantina (411 E. Cevallos St., chefjohnnyhernandez.com/casa-hernan/) agrees that fresh juice is the key to a perfect margarita, but also says special attention should be paid to unnecessary extras in your spirit and sweetener. 

Casa Hernán Mexican Cantina makes it signature margs with agave.

“Agave is a choice sweetener because it has its own slight vegetal flavor, which enhances the earthy undertones of tequila,” he said. “But one rule I go by—and this applies to spirit, juice, and sweetener—is that, as long as your ingredients are additive-free, you're good to go.”

Ocho (1015 Navarro St., bunkhousehotels.com), located inside boutique Hotel Havana, is known for its luxe atmosphere, but its margaritas are just as irresistibly refreshing—proof that good taste goes far beyond the décor. Chef Jesse Kuykendall offered several tips for unique and flavor-packed margs at home. 

“Don’t stop at lime! Use a blend of lime, grapefruit, and Meyer lemon for a citrus forward mix that’s bright and layered,” he said. “It pairs especially well with bold tequilas or smoky mezcal.” 

He also suggests freezing mango or watermelon chunks and using them as ice. “That keeps the drink cold and infuses flavor without dilution,” he said. 

Finally, longtime La Hacienda de los Barrios (18747 Redland Rd., lahaciendabarrios.com) bartender Tim Riley suggests experimenting with fresh flavor additions straight from the produce section. 

La Hacienda de los Barrios offers its range of margaritas in flight sizes.

“Fresh pomegranate juice or muddled produce like cucumber and jalapeno are definitely bold and fun, but I like to play around with herbs like cilantro, too,” he said. In that spirit, current summer cocktails at La Hacienda include a watermelon mint margarita and one with pineapple and jalapeno. 

“Ultimately, though, the road to building your collection of go-to drinks starts with really understanding what you like,” Riley added. “If you know you’re partial to tart or bitter flavor profiles versus sweet or floral, you can explore ingredients that will play to your preferences and create your ideal drink.”

The best part of playing with classic cocktails? You get to shake up something that's 100% your style—so grab these tips, trust your taste buds, and let the delicious experimenting begin!

Cheers!