50/50 Margarita

One of the most important things to know about cocktails is that once you have the ratios memorized, there’s endless room to experiment. Take the margarita as our example: While exact quantities can shift slightly to suit personal tastes, the basic ratio is two parts tequila to one part each triple sec and fresh lime juice. From there, you can start swapping in a different spirit for the tequila. 

That’s the thinking behind the mezcal margarita, which swaps tequila for its smokier cousin. But here’s the interesting part: You don’t always have to swap one spirit for another. A prime example of this is the 50/50 margarita, which has become a favorite of mine lately. Originally created by Natasha Bermudez, bar director at Llama Inn and Llama San in New York, it’s a minimalist riff that keeps the classic margarita’s proportions—tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau—but replaces the tequila with a 50/50 mix of mezcal and sherry.

Sherry isn’t a spirit—it’s a fortified wine with a lower alcohol (15–20% ABV)—but it brings incredible depth to this drink. The result is smoky yet floral, with the rich and nutty flavors of sherry—its complex, layered, and arguably even more sippable than your average margarita.

The Key Ingredients for a Fabulous 50/50 Margarita

To land on my ideal rendition of this drink, I made six different versions that combined various styles of both mezcal and sherry. Here's what I learned after tasting all the results.

Start with a great mezcal. Let’s get this straight: mezcal is not a type of tequila—tequila is a type of mezcal. I made this cocktail for our team with both Mezcal Verde Amarás, an Espadín-based mezcal that’s widely available in US stores, and Ojo de Tigre, a blend of Espadín and wild-harvested Tobalá an agave variety known for its fruity, complex flavors. No matter what you choose, the key is to use mezcal that’s high-quality and good enough to sip on its own.

Use a sweet sherry. We started with a dry Manzanilla sherry (Valdespino), which created a crisp, citrusy cocktail—but it leaned too sharp. Then we tried a fino sherry (Tio Pepe), which was even drier and more mineral-forward, but made a margarita that was unbalanced and in need of more sweetness.

The breakthrough came with Pedro Ximénez sherry, specifically from Valdespino. It’s a richly sweet, syrupy style of sherry with flavors of fig, toffee, and dried fruit. Our colleague and Food & Wine editorial director, Dylan Garret, put it perfectly: “It has a similar earthy profile to agave nectar, but also brings in notes of fig, toffee, raisins, molasses, and dried fruit.”

He added, “Using PX sherry gives you all these subtle, nuanced flavors, while also letting you be lazy—you don’t need to add a bunch of extra ingredients or make any syrups.”

The result was a rich, balanced cocktail that paired beautifully with both mezcals, though we leaned slightly toward Ojo de Tigre.

Salt your rim—with style. What’s a margarita without a salted rim? I use a 50/50 mix of kosher salt and Tajín for something a little more dynamic. I only salt one side of the glass, so it’s only half salty (kinda like me), fitting for a 50/50—and it keeps the salt from overwhelming the last few sips. It’s a small touch that makes your margarita feel a little more special.