12 Elevated Margarita Recipes for National Margarita Day 2026

February 22 marks National Margarita Day, and in 2026 the classic tequila cocktail continues to evolve far beyond lime and salt. Across five-star resorts, historic hotels, and celebrated spirits houses, the margarita is being reinterpreted with activated charcoal, pandan-infused tequila, espresso, and regional honey.

Below, 12 distinctive margarita recipes, ordered with the most lavish expressions first, offer a global perspective on this enduring cocktail. Each recipe is presented exactly as crafted by the properties and brands behind them. Whether you are mixing at home or noting your next travel stop, these luxury margarita recipes deliver depth, balance, and thoughtful technique.

Vakkaru Maldives, The Maldives

At Vakkaru Maldives, the margarita takes on a tropical nuance through tequila infused with organic farm pandan leaves. Pandan, an aromatic leaf used widely in Southeast Asian cuisine, introduces a grassy, vanilla-like note that pairs seamlessly with grapefruit and mint.

Recipe:

40 ml tequila infused with organic farm pandan leaves
20 ml triple sec
40 ml grapefruit juice
20 ml lemon juice
20 ml agave syrup
4 mint leaves

Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a margarita glass. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge and a mint sprig.

Breathless Cancún Soul Resort & Spa, Cancún, Mexico

Activated charcoal lends a dramatic inky hue to this margarita served in Cancún. The addition of soda water lightens the texture, while fresh citrus maintains the structure expected of a traditional margarita.

Recipe:

2 oz tequila blanco 100 percent agave
1 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz fresh orange juice
0.5 oz agave syrup light
1 tsp activated charcoal powder
Splash of soda water
Black Salt rim optional
Dehydrated citrus wheel garnish

Rim with black salt, if desired. Combine tequila, lime juice, orange juice, agave syrup and activated charcoal in a shaker. Add ice and shake until cold. Strain over fresh ice into the prepared glass. Top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel.

TROBBU Tulum, Tulum, Mexico

At TROBBU Tulum, espresso meets reposado tequila in a margarita that bridges afternoon coffee culture with evening cocktails. The caramelized orange garnish introduces a gentle sweetness and visual warmth.

Ingredients:

Margarita

45 ml reposado tequila or high-quality blanco
30 ml espresso shot
20 ml fresh lemon juice
10 ml simple syrup
Ice, as needed

For the caramelized orange

2 orange slices
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
Pinch of salt optional

Garnish

Caramelized orange slice
Optional rim fine salt plus ground coffee 70/30

Recipe:

Caramelized orange

1. In a small pan, add sugar and water.

2. Cook over medium heat without stirring until a light amber caramel forms.

3. Add the orange slices and a pinch of salt.

4. Cook 30–45 seconds per side.

5. Remove and cool on parchment paper.

Prepare the glass

1. Moisten the rim with lemon.

2. Dip into the salt and coffee mixture.

3. Chill the glass until ready to use.

Coffee margarita

Add to a shaker:

1. Tequila

2. Coffee shot

3. Lemon juice

4. Simple syrup

5. Fill with ice and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.

6. Fine-strain into the chilled glass.

The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection, New York City

At The Algonquin Hotel, a Midtown institution, “Linger On” layers Casamigos with both Cointreau and Grand Marnier, building a rich citrus profile with depth.

Recipe:

1 ½ oz of Casamigos
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz lime juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well, strain into a glass, and garnish with ginger and lime.

The Muse New York, New York City

Pear juice and ginger syrup give this reposado-based margarita a layered sweetness and spice profile, with Angostura bitters adding subtle aromatic complexity.

Recipe:

2 oz House Reposado Tequila Don Julio Reposado or Casamigos Reposado
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Pear Juice
0.75 oz Ginger Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a pear slice or candied ginger, if desired.

InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa, Dominica

This Caribbean interpretation incorporates locally sourced Dominican wildflower honey and floats a Bwa Kwaib flower on the surface.

Recipe:

2 oz premium tequila
1 oz triple sec
1 oz fresh lime juice
¼ oz of locally sourced Dominican wildflower honey for subtle sweetness

Add tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and honey to a shaker filled with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, ensuring the honey is fully incorporated. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice with a salted rim or serve straight up in a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel and delicately float a Bwa Kwaib flower on the surface of the cocktail.

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, Maui

Hibiscus syrup introduces a floral, slightly tart dimension to this Maui resort cocktail.

Recipe:

1 ½ oz of Hornitos Tequila
½ oz of Ferrand’s Dry Curacao
Splash of agave nectar
¾ oz of fresh lime juice
½ oz of house-made hibiscus syrup

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with cubed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and a hibiscus flower in syrup.

The Alida, Savannah, Georgia

A measured heat defines this Savannah cocktail, where Ancho Verde and spicy tincture meet lime and agave.

Recipe:

1 ½ oz Olmeca Altos Tequila
½ oz Ancho Verde
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz agave nectar
3 dashes spicy tincture

Shake ingredients with ice and pour into a rocks glass over cubed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and a half pepper-salt rim.

Dos Hombres Mezcal

Smoky mezcal replaces tequila in this expression.

Recipe:

2 oz Dos Hombres Mezcal
0.5 oz Agave Sweetener optional
0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Cointreau

Add all ingredients into a mixing tin with ice.
Shake and strain into a large rocks glass.

Spicy option: Rim your glass with salt and chili powder.
Sweet option: Rim your glass with sugar and salt.

Ilegal Mezcal

A streamlined mezcal-forward interpretation.

Recipe:

2 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
1 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Agave Nectar

Add to shaker with ice. Shake. Dump ingredients into a pre-salted rimmed rocks glass.

Tequila Centinela

A classic structure featuring triple sec and fresh lime.

Recipe:

1.5 oz Tequila Centinela Blanco or Reposado
.75 oz triple Sec
.75 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz agave nectar

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and then strain into a rocks glass.

Dulce Vida Organic Blanco Tequila

Sumo orange juice introduces a round citrus sweetness.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Dulce Vida Organic Blanco Tequila
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Sumo Orange Juice
0.5 oz Agave

Garnishes: Sumo Orange Wheel and Lime Wheel

Directions: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Garnish with a sumo orange wheel and a lime wheel.