Locals Consistently Vote Tomasita’s: Best Margarita in Santa Fe

A beer, house margarita and a frozen margarita The Swirl

A Brief, Unofficial History of the Margarita

While the official history of the margarita is a little unclear (several people have claimed to have invented it), the most popular tale credits a Tijuana restaurant owner, Carlos Herrera, with creating the classic drink back in 1938.

As the story goes, it was inspired by one of his customers, an aspiring actress who was allergic to all hard liquor except tequila. Her name was Marjorie, one of several girls’ names that translates into Spanish as Margarita.

The basic margarita recipe consists of just three ingredients: tequila, lime or lemon juice (usually with sugar called “sweet and sour”), and orange liqueur, but there are many variations. Using different tequilas (silver, reposado, or anejo), orange liqueurs (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc.), and different sweet and sour flavors.

While the history of the margarita may be up for some debate, where to get the best margaritas in Santa Fe is not. The people have spoken, and Tomasita’s is consistently voted the best margarita in Santa Fe, and it’s not even close.

Even better? You don’t have to come all the way to Santa Fe to get one. Now, you can get those same best margaritas in Albuquerque. That’s pretty great news for both the residents of and visitors to Albuquerque, especially if you plan on, you know, drinking margaritas.

A New Twist (of Lime): The Frozen Margarita

The first frozen margarita hit the headlines in 1971 when Mariano Martinez, an enterprising young Dallas restaurant owner, invented the frozen margarita machine. With bartenders complaining that the drink took too long to make and customers complaining that it melted too quickly, Martinez was inspired by seeing a Slurpee machine in a local convenience store. Retrofitting an old soft-serve machine, he succeeded, after some experimentation, in getting it to produce the perfect frozen margarita every time. The drink’s popularity soared.

In recognition of the cultural significance of that invention, the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., acquired that same machine from Martinez in 2005. Viva la Fiesta!

A Further Twist on the Classic Margarita

In this spirit of margarita innovation, Tomasita’s takes it a step further.

Not only do we have the best frozen margaritas in Santa Fe, but we also have the FROGG and the SWIRL (frozen margarita with a swirl of our house-made sangria).

Our margarita variations don’t stop there.

A few years ago, the staff at Tomasita’s Albuquerque came up with a new idea: The Frozen Flight. It consists of three tastings of frozen margaritas in a variety of flavors, depending on what’s in season. For frozen margarita enthusiasts, it’s not to be missed.

Whether you prefer your margaritas frozen or classic, stop by either Tomasita’s location today and experience the best margaritas in Albuquerque and Santa Fe!

According to a 2016 consumer survey, margarita now tops the list of America’s most popular cocktails.