Austin National Margarita Day Guide For 2020

AUSTIN, TX — National Margarita Day is fast approaching, and the city is awash with special deals to commemorate this important observance.

With this in mind, we at Austin Patch sought out some of the best places to celebrate the concoction on Saturday, Feb. 22. Frozen or on the rocks, with salt or without, there is no wrong way and no bad time to enjoy a margarita — a beverage that is all but the unofficial drink of Texas at this point.

So be sure to lift a glass for your favorite president in toasting, with a hearty toast of gratitude. To help you along, here are some of the best places to celebrate National Margarita Day. Cheers!

Corner Bar

One of South Lamar's favorite bars will be offering $6 House Regular and Strawberry Margs, $8 Espolon Margs and $10 Casamigos Margs.

Photo courtesy of Corner Bar.

El Naranjo

For National Margarita Day, the interior Oaxacan restaurant now located at 2717 South Lamar is offering 25 percent off all margaritas. El Naranjo is open for brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with dinner service scheduled from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

An array of margaritas served at El Naranjo. Photo courtesy of Resplendent Hospitality, used with permission.

Güero’s

Tequila 512 will be serving special margaritas in the Oak Garden from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Also flowing will be live music for patrons to keep rockin’ and rollin’ all afternoon. Additionally, Tequila 512 will be raffling off goodies at 6:15 p.m. with raffle ticket proceeds benefiting Change1 - an organization that seeks to improve the capacity of youth-led and youth-serving institutions and engage young people, their families and communities so that youth can reach their full potential.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

This National Margarita Day, bring a friend or two and sip on this steal of a special from Feb. 21 - 23: Buy one-liter bottled Doble Fina Margarita, made with silver tequila, triple sec, lime, agave and a black lava salt rim, for $25. This offer is valid at all Hopdoddy Burger Bar locations.

The one-liter bottled Doble Fina Margarita, made with silver tequila, triple sec, lime, agave and a black lava salt rim. Photo courtesy of Hopdoddy Burger Bar.

Odd Duck

Celebrate National Margarita Day from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. with a $68 dollar top-shelf margarita made with Clase Azul Tequila, Grand Marnier Cuvee 1880, lime and salt foam. Get it while supplies last!

A top-shelf margarita as served by Odd Duck. Photo by Richard Casteel used with permission.

Revelry Kitchen + Bar

The East 6th street bar will be partying with signature margaritas for $6 each, including flavors such as peach and prickly pear, plus $2 off queso, as well as housemade tacos and salsas.

Photo courtesy of Revelry Kitchen + Bar.

Revelry On The Boulevard

The North Lamar neighborhood hangout will be serving $5 House Margaritas. Additional specials include top shelf margaritas including a Hibiscus Margarita with Maestro Dobel Tequila Chef Dominque LaBeaud will be featuring a selection of house made salsas.

Photo courtesy of Revelry On The Boulevard.

Sour Duck Market

Sour Duck will be running a margarita flight special when you can expect 3-4 margaritas with different swirls in each! Sour Duck is open from 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.

The margarita at Sour Duck Market. Photo by Richard Casteel used with permission.

Taco Cabana

"It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, especially on National Margarita Day!" Taco Cabana officials began in a missive to Patch. With that in mind, the chain will be offering $2 margaritas all day long on National Margarita Day. "So, gather your crew and enjoy some refreshing strawberry and lime frozen margaritas at a great value," officials wrote.

Torchy's Tacos

Let's taco 'bout this: Torchy’s Tacos is celebrating the holiday with two unique offerings:

• Large margarita: The new 16-ounce offering is available on the rocks or frozen for $9.50.
• Scallywag margarita: The limited time offer is made with 100% pure agave reposado tequila and triple sec, complete with Habanero jam and a Captain Crunch/coconut rim for $6.50. The margarita is a compliment to the Scallywag taco, the February Taco of the Month, and is available until Feb. 29.

Behold: The Scalawag at Torchy's Tacos that can be washed down with a refreshing margarita. Photo provided by Torchy's Tacos.

The Upside + Sixth and Waller

Take a sip of the tropics at East Austin Hotel - the place to be for a refreshing twist on your classic marg. The margarita at The Upside and Sixth and Waller, the Sunset City ($12) is a strawberry forward cocktail and a perfect mix of dry, vibrant and tequila-driven all at once.

The Sunset City margarita offering at The Upside + Sixth and Waller. Courtesy photo used with permission.

The Water Trough

Lone Star Court’s on-site restaurant and bar, The Water Trough, will be pouring $5 margaritas all day long at The Domain. The Water Trough is offering flavor add-ons from an original margarita with the option for mango, peach, strawberry or pineapple coconut. Feel like mixing it up? Add in an additional flavor mix-in for $1. Another planned offering will be a special on the spicy margarita ($6), Mexican martini ($7) and mezcal margarita ($8).

Is your mouth watering yet? These are two examples of the margaritas offered at the Water Trough. Courtesy photo used with permission.

Hotel ZaZa Austin

This is how officials describe their upcoming event: "Head up to Hotel ZaZa Austin’s seventh-floor sky bar and lounge for your National Margarita Day celebration complete with a perfect view of downtown Austin and a perfectly crafted margarita that will make you think, " 'I’m possible!' " as Audrey Hepburn would say, and we couldn't have said it better ourselves. The Audrey Hepburn ($14) is made with Patron Silver Tequila, Patron Citronge, Agave Nectar and lime.

Editor's note: Patch was invited to celebrate the opening of this jaw-droppingly beautiful, 24-story, 159-room luxury boutique last year, and the event is a memory indelibly etched in our mind. Alcohol flowed freely from strategically placed open bars, a buffet-style spread of fine food (the shrimp!) was continually replenished and bands of various genres played at different points of the grand hotel in a party that would've made the Romans proud.

We never got a chance to say thanks for the experience of touring the fabulous space amid at its opening as we witnessed the opulence and vibrancy of the hotel fitting right in and enhancing an already sparking downtown. I guess what we're saying in long-winded fashion is this seems like a great place to enjoy a margarita.

Taco Cabana

It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, especially on National Margarita Day! On February 22, TC is offering $2 margaritas all day long. So, gather your crew and enjoy some refreshing strawberry and lime frozen margaritas at a great value.

Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill

Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill is celebrating National Margarita Day in a BIG way. Guests can enjoy deals on drinks and food specials all day on Feb. 22 including:

Margaritas:

• 6th Street Margarita (frozen or on the rocks) - $6
• Chambord Margarita - $7
• Frusion Margarita - $8

To sip and savor:

• Don Julio 1942 Reposado - $28
• Clase Azul Reposado - $21
• Clase Azul Anejo - $64
• Tequila Flight (all three top-shelf tequilas) - $60

Tapas:

• Roasted Elote with habanero butter, cilantro sour cream, queso fresco, y sal de gusano - $6
• Yucca Fries infused with chile oil, chipotle adobo aioli and tajin - $7
• Yucatan Pork Belly - banana leaf seared and braised pork belly over refried black beans, roasted tomatillos herbs and lime - $8

Photo courtesy of Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill.

MARGARITA RECIPES

Some restaurants were kind enough to send Patch some margarita recipes. Read more:

• Ingredients
  • 2 oz Garrison Brothers Small Batch Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • 1 oz hand-squeezed lime juice
  • 0.5 oz organic agave nectar
  • 1 oz Rambler Sparkling Water
  • Pink Himalayan salt for rim
  • Lime wheel for garnish
• Method
  • Combine bourbon, lime juice, and agave nectar in mixing tin with ice
  • Shake and strain over fresh ice into pink himalayan salt-rimmed rocks glass
  • Garnish with lime wheel
  • Top with splash of Rambler Sparkling Water
  • Gently stir
  • Serve

• Website https://www.garrisonbros.com
• About Garrison Brothers Distillery is a small farm and ranch located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country that authentically produces straight bourbon whiskey. Garrison Brothers introduced the first bourbon whiskey legally made in Texas in 2010 and has since developed a rabid fan base. They currently have a waitlist of more than 15,000 just to volunteer on bottling days, and their Cowboy Bourbon™ normally sells out within hours of its release. Garrison Brothers is the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas history and is one of the first distilleries in America outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handmade bourbon whiskey—and only bourbon whiskey. The business was founded in 2006.

Every expression of Garrison Brothers bourbon is made from a sweet mash bill and barrel-aged in the intense Texas climate. The extreme heat creates multiple aging seasons in a year, resulting in a darker, richer, and fuller bourbon; bolder than almost any other bourbon on the market.

At the American Craft Spirit Awards in 2018, the Garrison Brothers team was awarded a gold medal for its Single Barrel Bourbon, a silver medal for its 2016 Small Batch Bourbon, and another silver for its Balmorhea Twice Barreled Bourbon. Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible named Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon™ "American Micro Whiskey of the Year" in 2014 and again in 2017.

Whiskey Bible recently awarded the same distinction to Balmorhea Twice Barreled Bourbon for 2019 and 2020. Garrison Brothers was voted Best Craft Whiskey Distillery in America by readers of USA Today in 2017.

Garrison Brothers is a proud and active member of the communities of Blanco, Fredericksburg, Hye, Johnson City, and Stonewall. The distillery and its barrel barns are open to the public for tours in Hye, Texas. Anyone interested in learning more about Garrison Brothers Bourbon or in taking a tour of the distillery should visit garrisonbros.com or follow @garrisonbros on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

• Brand La Condesa - Austin, TX
• Idea This Modern Mexican Restaurant Uses Bat-Friendly Tequila In Its Most Popular Margarita

• Recipe Margarita La Clásica
• Clásica Mix
• • 1 part water
• • 1 part agave
• • 2 parts lime juice

• Ingredients
• • 2oz Clásica mix
• • 1.5oz bat-friendly, blanco tequila (100% agave)
• • .75oz quality orange liqueur
• • Cactus-lemongrass salt
• • Lime, cross-sectioned wheel

• Cactus-Lemongrass Salt
• • 30g dried cactus paddle
• • 20g dried lemongrass
• • 100g kosher salt
• • 70g sugar

Shake mix, tequila and orange liqueur with ice. Pour unstrained into salt-rimmed rocks glass. Garnish with lime wheel floating atop the finished beverage.
Dehydrate cactus paddle and lemongrass. Blitz in spice grinder with salt and sugar, or hand grind in molcajete.

Website: https://lacondesa.com/

Image courtesy of La Condesa.

About La Condesa

La Condesa is an award-winning modern Mexican restaurant located in Austin’s vibrant 2nd Street District. Helmed by Executive Chef Rick Lopez, La Condesa’s menu features contemporary Mexican dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, plus a renowned bar program with the largest collection of 100% blue agave tequila and mezcal in the city.

• Brand Desert Door Sotol - Austin, TX
• Idea Make Your Margarita With Sotol, Tequila's Wild Cousin, on National Margarita Day
• Recipe
  • Desert Door Tamarind Rita
    • 1.5 oz Desert Door Original Texas Sotol or Desert Door Oak-Aged Texas Sotol
    • 1 oz Liquid Alchemist Tamarindo
    • 0.5 oz Liquid Alchemist Apple Spice Syrup
    • 1 oz Lime Juice
    • Charred Lime Wheel
      • Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake vigorously. Salt rim of half of glass. Strain in glass over ice.
      • Top with charred lime wheel.
      • Website https://www.desertdoor.com/

Image courtesy of Desert Door Sotol.

About Desert Door

Desert Door is a craft distiller of a premium and unique Texas spirit known as Texas sotol. The spirit is made from the sotol plant (Dasylirion texanum) which is wild-harvested as far east as Driftwood and as far west as Marfa. Desert Door launched in Driftwood, Texas, in November 2017 and has a distillery and tasting room located at 211 Darden Hill Rd, Driftwood, Texas, offering tours, tastings, and craft cocktails. The distillery is open Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on Desert Door, the distillery and distribution updates, please visit https://desertdoor.com or follow the brand on Instagram at @desertdoor.

• Brand The Living Room Lounge (Inn and Spa at Loretto), Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Recipe
  • Strawberry-Jalapeño Margarita
    • 1.5 oz Don Julio Silver
    • 1/2 oz Cointreau
    • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
    • 3/4 oz of Strawberry-Jalapeno Puree
    • 1/2 oz Pomegranate Juice
    • Combine all ingredients in a Cocktail Shaker with ice and pour into rimmed rocks glass
  • Prep Instructions: To make puree, blend 3 jalapenos (stemmed/seeded) with 17 oz. of strawberry puree
• Images https://giantnoise.box.com/s/9v6qaucgg6mf4mmfdx1zt0vq5tpz4qnn
• Website https://www.hotelloretto.com/eat-drink/living-room

About The Living Room Lounge

Founded by Jim Long in 2005, Heritage Hotels & Resorts is a collection of culturally distinct hotels in New Mexico and is the largest independent hotel brand in New Mexico. Through their architecture, interior design, landscaping, cuisine, art, entertainment, and music, Heritage Hotels & Resorts provide guests with a rich, authentic, cultural experience. Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, Hotel Chaco, and Nativo Lodge are located in Albuquerque, NM; Hotel St. Francis, Eldorado Hotel & Spa, Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe, Inn and Spa at Loretto, and The Lodge at Santa Fe are located in Santa Fe, NM; Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces is located in Las Cruces, NM; and El Monte Sagrado and Palacio de Marquesa are located in Taos, NM. Each Heritage Hotel donates a percentage of its revenue to cultural causes. The company and its affiliate companies provide over 2,000 jobs in NM.

• Brand Garduño's at Old Town (Hotel Albuquerque), Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Recipe
  • The Jalapeno Margarita
    • 1.5 oz Patron Reposado
    • .5 oz Agave Nectar
    • 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
    • 3 Slices of Fresh Jalapeno
    • 2 oz water
  • Prep Instructions
    • Muddle the Jalapeno gently then add all ingredients
    • Shake and strain into a Margarita Glass with Fresh Ice
    • Garnish the rim with a Salt and Red Chili Glass rim
• High Res Images https://giantnoise.box.com/s/3fclvp44ea1mx2ro4zw7rfym15oubtzy
• Website https://www.hotelabq.com/gardunos

About Garduño's at Old Town

Founded by Jim Long in 2005, Heritage Hotels & Resorts is a collection of culturally distinct hotels in New Mexico and is the largest independent hotel brand in New Mexico. Through their architecture, interior design, landscaping, cuisine, art, entertainment, and music, Heritage Hotels & Resorts provide guests with a rich, authentic, cultural experience. Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, Hotel Chaco, and Nativo Lodge are located in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Hotel St. Francis, Eldorado Hotel & Spa, Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe, Inn and Spa at Loretto, and The Lodge at Santa Fe are located in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico; and El Monte Sagrado and Palacio de Marquesa are located in Taos, New Mexico.

Each Heritage Hotel donates a percentage of its revenue to cultural causes. The company employs more than 2,000 jobs in New Mexico.

• Brand The Esquire Tavern - San Antonio, Texas
• Recipe
  • Nuestra Margarita
    • Blanco tequila
    • key lime
    • French triple-sec
    • kosher salt
    • Website: https://www.esquiretavern-sa.com/

Photo courtesy of The Esquire Tavern

About The Esquire Tavern

The Esquire Tavern is more than just a bar that serves luscious libations and tasty elevated American fare; it’s a scintillating slice of San Antonio’s history. This downtown Tavern has been serving drinks to locals, drifters, celebrities and all walks of life for over 80 years. We first opened our doors in 1933 on Repeal Day, a day which celebrated the end of America’s 13-year-long alcohol prohibition. Lauded as the oldest bar on the San Antonio River Walk - still holding the title of the longest bar in Texas - The Esquire Tavern is a venue of untouchable historic significance and has many remarkable tales to tell. One needs only to step foot into this cherished bar to experience the dedication to preserving its history and excellence, which is evident in every brick, bulb, plate and, of course, cocktail. Although completely renovated in 2011, The Esquire Tavern still retains its vintage décor, classic furnishings and dusky lighting that allows guests to enjoy a rustic yet romantic atmosphere. Located along the River Walk, guests can sit outside and take in festive surroundings and sultry San Antonio evenings.

• Brand Twang - San Antonio, Texas
• Recipes
  • 1) Guava Margarita
    • Twang a rita unwind lime rim
    • .75 fresh lime juice
    • 1 oz orange liqueur
    • 1.5 oz blanco tequila
    • Top with guava juice
  • 2) Pickle Margarita
    • Twangerz pickle punch rim
    • Muddled strawberry/ Serrano pepper
    • .5 lime juice
    • .75 Oz pickle juice
    • .75 simple syrup
    • 1.5 oz mezcal
  • Tamarind Margarita
    • Twang a rita sunrise spice rim
    • .75 oz Zas! tamarind infused simple syrup
    • .75 lime juice
    • 1.5 oz blanco tequila
    • Sage garnish

Photo of the guava margarita courtesy of Twang

>>> RESTAURATEURS AND BAR OPERATORS: Will you be offering special deals for National Margarita Day? Send details to antonio.cantu@patch.com, and we'll add you to this list!