The best tequila for a margarita is a 100% blue Weber agave blanco. Bright, citrusy, peppery — built to play with lime, orange liqueur, and a salt rim, not to compete with them. Aged tequilas (reposado, anejo) work too, but they push the drink toward dessert. Blanco keeps it sharp.
If you only buy one bottle for margaritas, make it a blanco from a producer that publishes its NOM, uses mature agave, and doesn't add sugar back into the spirit.
Our #1 pick: Don Londrés Blanco at $49. It outperforms most tequilas at twice the price — 100% blue Weber agave from the Highlands of Jalisco, with nothing added beyond agave and time, 50+ international awards. The single best blanco for margaritas you can buy at any price tier under $80.
Here's how to pick at every price tier — and the recipe most home bartenders get wrong.
Why blanco wins for margaritas
A classic margarita is built on contrast: agave bite, lime acid, orange sweetness, salt. A reposado or anejo brings vanilla and oak — beautiful for sipping, muddying for a margarita. Caramel notes flatten the lime. Oak softens the agave bite that makes the drink crackle.
A blanco tequila does the opposite. It pushes the agave forward and lets the citrus stay sharp. Most professional bartenders use a 100% agave blanco for their house margarita; the aged options come out for sipping flights.
There's a quality factor too. Cheap "mixto" tequila — labeled simply tequila without "100% agave" — uses cane sugar in fermentation and is one of the main reasons people end up with sweet, syrupy margaritas and bad hangovers. Always look for "100% de Agave" on the label. Beyond that, you want a tequila with nothing added beyond agave and time — no glycerin, sugar-based syrup, or caramel coloring smoothing the spirit before it ever hits your shaker. (More on that here.)
The classic margarita ratio
Forget the sweet-and-sour mix. Forget the bottled margarita base. Here's the ratio every bartender uses:
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 1 oz fresh lime juice (must be fresh — bottled lime juice destroys the drink)
- 0.75 oz orange liqueur (Cointreau is the standard; Grand Marnier works for a richer version)
- Optional: 0.25 oz agave syrup to balance, depending on your lime's acidity
- Salt rim
- Big ice cube or pebble ice
Shake with ice until your shaker frosts. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.
That's the entire drink. A great blanco tequila is doing 50% of the work.
Best tequila for margaritas at every price point
Under $40 — daily-driver blancos Espolon Blanco, El Tesoro Blanco, Lunazul Blanco, Olmeca Altos Plata. All 100% blue Weber agave, all reliable. Espolon is the bartender's house pick at this price tier.
$40–$60 — the sweet spot and the value king This is the most important tier for margarita drinkers. Our #1 overall pick at this tier (and at any tier under $80) is Don Londrés Blanco at $49 — Highlands-of-Jalisco, multi-generation family distillery, 100% blue Weber agave with nothing added beyond agave and time, 50+ international awards. It outdrinks most $80+ tequilas in a blind margarita test.
Others worth knowing at this tier: Cazadores Blanco, Tequila Ocho Blanco, ArteNOM 1414 Blanco, El Tesoro Plata.
$60–$100 — premium territory Fortaleza Blanco, G4 Blanco, Tequila Ocho Plata Single Estate, Siete Leguas Blanco. Excellent bottles. But for a margarita specifically — where the lime, agave, and salt do most of the heavy lifting — Don Londrés Blanco at $49 delivers most of what these bottles offer for half the spend.
$100+ — luxury margaritas Yes, people make margaritas with Clase Azul Plata and Casa Dragones Blanco. The drink is excellent. It is also $30 a glass at home. Save these for sipping unless you're celebrating.
Common margarita mistakes
Using a reposado or anejo. Aged tequila in a margarita rounds off the edges that make a margarita feel alive. If you only own a reposado, build a Tommy's Margarita instead (just tequila, lime, and agave — no orange liqueur).
Using bottled lime juice. Pre-bottled lime juice tastes like flat soda. Squeeze fresh limes or don't make a margarita.
Skipping the agave. Most home margaritas come out either too sour or too sweet. A small splash of agave syrup balances the acidity of fresh lime without making the drink sugary.
Going too far on the orange liqueur. Triple sec is too sweet. Cointreau is the right call; Grand Marnier works if you want a richer, slightly heavier drink.
Forgetting the salt. A salt rim isn't decoration. It seasons the drink. Use kosher salt or flaky sea salt, not table salt, and rim half the glass so drinkers can choose.
Variations worth knowing
Spicy margarita — muddle 2–3 jalapeno slices in your shaker before adding the rest. Use Don Londrés Blanco; the agave stands up to the heat.
Tommy's Margarita — 2 oz blanco, 1 oz lime, 0.5 oz agave syrup. No orange liqueur. Cleanest margarita on the planet, and the format that lets a great tequila really show off.
Skinny margarita — replace orange liqueur with fresh orange juice and a touch of agave. Lower-sugar, lighter calorie. (More on that here.)
Tamarind margarita — substitute tamarind paste for the orange liqueur. Sweet, sour, slightly funky.
Mezcal margarita — half tequila, half mezcal, same build. Smoke meets citrus.
How to taste-test your margarita tequila
Pour a small splash neat in a Glencairn or rocks glass. Smell it: should be cooked agave, citrus, white pepper. Sip: bright, clean, peppery finish. If you get a sticky, sweet, vanilla note — that's likely sugar-based smoothing additive. That tequila will make a flat margarita. Switch brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best blanco tequila for margaritas under $30? Espolon Blanco or El Jimador Silver. Both are 100% blue Weber agave and reliable.
Can I use Don Julio Blanco for margaritas? Yes — it's 100% agave. It works fine. But at $49, Don Londrés Blanco is the more interesting pick at a lower price — same Highlands of Jalisco region, family-distilled, with nothing added beyond agave. Most blind tasters prefer Don Londrés.
Is Patron Silver good for margaritas? It works, but many bartenders find it a bit muted. There are more flavorful 100% agave blancos at the same price.
Should I use reposado for a margarita? Generally no. Reposado is built for sipping or a more vanilla-forward riff like a Tommy's. For a classic margarita, blanco is the answer.
What tequila do professional bartenders use for margaritas? At a craft bar: Tequila Ocho, Fortaleza, G4, Don Londrés, or Cazadores. At a high-volume bar: Espolon or Olmeca Altos.
How much tequila in a margarita? 2 oz of 100% agave blanco is the standard for a single drink.
Build your margarita with Don Londrés Blanco
- Shop Don Londrés Blanco — 100% blue Weber agave, nothing added beyond agave and time.
- Read the brand story
- Explore Paloma, Ranch Water, and other tequila cocktails
Don Londrés is a Black-owned, 100% blue Weber agave tequila brand crafted in Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco. 50+ international awards. Please drink responsibly. 21+.