What is the Best Tequila for a Margarita?

There are a ton of tequilas out there but thankfully we sacrificed for the good of humanity and have done countless “drink studies” to help you choose what is the best tequila for a margarita. So the next time a friend asks you what are the best types of tequila for margaritas, you’ll be an expert.

The short answer is tequila blanco, also known as silver tequila or white tequila. This type of tequila is young and unaged (or aged less than two months) and has a stronger natural agave flavor that pairs best with margaritas. That’s because they don’t have a woody or aged flavor like it’s more expensive oak barrel aged peers, the tequila reposado or tequila anejo. Don’t get us wrong, these other tequila types are delicious in their own right but we like them more as a sipper tequila as opposed to mixing in margaritas.

Tequila blanco, like other spirits, has different levels of quality and distillation that makes a big difference. You’ll want to look specifically for 100% blue agave (100% agave) tequila that originates from one of the five regions of Mexico: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. If the bottle doesn’t say 100% agave then the tequila might also include additives such as sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors or colors. According to Wikipedia, this is also known as a Mixtos tequila (51% or less agave and rest sugars) — in other words — 100% a hangover you don’t want to wake up to. Mixtos are definitely not the type of tequila you should be using in a margarita because it will introduce some unpleasant flavors and a nasty hangover. What’s worse, paired with the wrong low-quality margarita mix and this is a recipe for disaster.

Which leads us to another point, equally important to picking out the right tequila type for your margarita is picking the right margarita mix for your tequila. We made LAVA to enhance your cocktail experience and highlight your craft tequila; not muddy it with sub-par ingredients. After all, 75% of your cocktail is the mix so why not use the best, right?

So now that you have the answer to the question “what is the best tequila for a margarita” (tequila blanco 100% blue agave) and understand how important it is to pick the right margarita mix to pair with your tequila, check out these delicious handcrafted premium LAVA margarita mixers made with real ingredients so you can make the perfect cocktail straight from the bottle. No fuss, no mess, and no junk.