The Mexican restaurant is world-famous for its deceptively simple margarita, but beverage manager Julio Bermejo won’t stop there
It can be made well or terribly. As a college student, I understood it to consist of tequila and Jose Cuervo margarita mix over ice in a plastic cup, and I was lucky if that tequila didn’t smell like gasoline.
But now, it’s an escape, a midweek shakeup from mundanity with just the right mix of safety and danger that makes the perfect happy hour for any employee returning to the office from the comfort of their work-from-home schedules. And San Francisco has the perfect margarita, thanks to a Richmond district staple that’s entering its seventh decade. Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and has become a worldwide sensation for its signature “Tommy’s margarita.”As a self-respecting amateur cocktail connoisseur, that meant it was time for me to learn what made their version so superior that bartenders from as far as Dubai are eager to learn at the feet of Julio Bermejo, the current beverage manager.Just flown back from a pop-up bar event in South Africa, Bermejo said he was asked to guest-bartend a shift where they brought him only around 23 limes.During a typical shift at Tommy’s, he said the technical term for the amount of limes they go through is a “s--t-load.” Tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and agave diluted with water — seriously, that’s it — shaken over ice, and poured into a glass. No garnish, only with salt upon request.If you ever want to go to a bar for a drink and an education, go to Tommy’s. I have never met a single person more passionate, and more eager to share that passion, about tequila than Bermejo. “People drink tequila because this has a particular flavor, because unlike the other denomination of origin spirits that we compare tequila to — scotch, cognac and Armagnac — we don't make a neutral spirit, and then put it in a barrel to get body, nuance, flavor, character, etc.,” he said. “We already have character.” Ex // Top Stories At SFMOMA, history of Bay Area photography shows a way forward The story of Group f.64 and its heirs, now showing at the museum, is rooted in the Bay Area tradition of rebelliousness SF overdoses on the rise as Lurie tries to address fentanyl crisis Overdose deaths increased for the fourth-straight month in The City, the same month the mayor's first major actions addressing the opioids crisis went into effect Police-commission nominee sets 'accountability' as top priority The nominated replacement for former San Francisco Police Commissioner Max Carter-Oberstone says that “accountability” and “transparency” will be her top priorities if… Bermejo’s the son of the restaurant’s namesake and original owner who has since passed. His mother, Elmy, still owns the establishment. It’s a family business. Bermejo’s other siblings work at the business and on a recent weeknight his sister, Maria Teresa, was manning the register at the front while her son, Enrique, was attending to customers. He’s been helping out at the restaurant and bar since he was 5 years old. Bermejo said the customers feel like family too, even if it’s their first time. “This is like our living room a little bit, so we are very intrusive,” he said. “I want to know who you are.” Bermejo said that the question he hates the most is when people ask him to recommend something without telling him anything about themselves first. If someone asks him this question, he’ll usually tell them to eat “leafy greens,” “quit smoking,” or “get laid as often as possible.”So as soon as I got behind the bar, Bermejo said he was going to start me at the baseline: the classic house margarita at Tommy’s, made with Lunazul Reposado tequila. Two ounces, poured into a blender top instead of a cocktail shaker because, according to Bermejo, Tommy’s margaritas are like Lay’s potato chips: Bartenders can never make just one, usually concocting four or five at once. But in my case, just one was fine, and I added a scoop of ice, to start the dilution process. Next, I was required to juice two limes, which were already sliced in half, with the ends removed. I quickly discovered my arm and grip strength were embarrassingly lacking if I were to have to do this at the speed Tommy’s bartenders do during a typical shift. Then, to finish it off, I added a small splash of agave before shaking vigorously — up and down, side to side — with as much rhythm as I could muster. First sip, and I was greeted with a tart and citrusy wave of relaxation. But Bermejo wouldn’t let me savor it for too long. My education was just beginning, and that was the primer. Now that I had the baseline, it was time for me to figure out what I actually liked. To do that, I had to start smelling. Bermejo presented bottles to my delicate nose, and I sipped from glasses he designed for the most ideal experience. After some trial and error, I discovered that I had a preference for Highland Blanco tequila, which had some botanical and citrus flavors and tasted a bit lighter than some other varieties. Surprisingly, I also enjoyed my first taste of sherry tequila and its dessert-like notes of orange and vanilla. By the end of the evening, I had learned more about tequila than I thought possible, and only then was Bermejo satisfied. “This is a bar in the middle of the Library of Congress,” said one 25-year regular, who asked to just go by his initials, R.J., who’s been coming to Tommy’s for more than 25 years. “You come in here to drink, and you leave learning.”
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