Unique Margaritas For Every Taste

Carrot Margaritas, Margaritas with aged Patron, Revival Margaritas... who knew there were so many types of Margaritas. Here's where to find the best in Chicago...

Something of a cocktail icon, while you may think there's only one way to make a Margarita, these five takes on the traditional format are perfectly subversive...

Patron Premium Aged Margarita

The Premium Aged Margarita at Tanta in River North is not your average Margarita. Tanta uses a Patron tequila that's hand-selected by General Manager and Beverage Director, Tomy Lokvicic. Tanta's Patron tequila is a blend of two anejo tequilas aged in a French barrel for nearly three years.

“It’s very tasty with caramel and vanilla notes and a little bit of sweet spices with a smooth finish,” Lokvicic said. His goal was to select a tequila with a little more body and richness to appease Midwestern whiskey drinkers, Lokvicic said.

If you're looking for a Margarita that is a step above the rest, Tanta is the place to go.

Margarita Tradicional

Margaritas have been around since the 1920s and Mercadito Chicago in River North has more than perfected the classic by using only the finest ingredients.

“To make a great margarita you need to start with great ingredients - a fabulous 100% blue agave tequila, a world class orange curaçao and always, always fresh lime juice," said Paul Tanguay, beverage director at Mercadito Chicago. "At Mercadito, we also like to gently sweeten our Margarita Tradicional with agave to add to the body of the cocktail."

If you're looking for the traditional experience, Mercadito is a must.

Chef's Margarita

For a Margarita that's a step above the rest, then I|O Godfrey in River North has you covered. The Chef's Margarita blends fresh lemon, lime and grapefruit juices with sweet vanilla syrup, Don Julio Blanco, Cointreau and Cointreau Noir, and is topped with habanero salt air foam, which allows the salt to melt into the drink instead of sitting on the rim of the glass.

“We wanted to perfect a “basic” margarita. The quality of ingredients is so important. It's the foundation to any recipe. If you start off with a shaky foundation, the rest of the house will fall down. So we always use fresh juices and top-shelf liquor," said I|O Godfrey's Executive Chef, Nathaniel Cayer. "Everyone has a salted rim, and we wanted to be different, so we create a salted habanero foam. As the drink sits, the salted foam melts into the drink, adding flavor and more depth to the cocktail.”

Revival Margarita

This no-nonsense Margarita from Revival Social Club in Edgewater may be simple, but the flavor speaks for itself.

"The margarita is the most popular tequila drink and the most underrated, so we decided to source quality ingredients starting with fresh lime juice and 100% blue agave tequila from the town of Tequila itself," said Revival Social Club's General Manager, David Tapia. "This creates a margarita that's light and refreshing. We also offer our margarita with mezcal which gives it a slightly smokey flavor."

Carrot Margarita

This Margarita from Clever Rabbit in Wicker Park is perfect for those who are looking for something out of the box. As the name implies this Margarita contains carrot juice, as well as Piedra Azul Reposado, Ancho Reyes Verde, carrot, agave, sage and lime with sea salt.

"Unlike most Margaritas, this one is much less acidic and very balanced with a touch of heat," said Nick Pagor of Clever Rabbit. "The lime-infused sea salt definitely cuts through the sweetness of the carrot."