About
Zen. Chill. Usually near the water. Mostly legendary.
How the name happened
At a buddy’s party, I reached for the chips and sent his freshly made margarita flying across the patio: ice, salt and lime everywhere. By the end of the night I had a new name, and it stuck.
You don’t always get to pick your nickname. Sometimes it picks you, and it smells a little like lime.
The lifestyle
Joey Margarita isn’t a drink order. It’s a way of moving through the world: slowly, on purpose, and with a good view. No rushing the pour, no rushing the sunset, no rushing the conversation. Every minute is worth enjoying, so he enjoys them, one at a time.
Life on the water
Beach life is home base. Most days that matter involve water: scuba diving along a reef, fly fishing the flats at first light, paddleboarding on glass-calm mornings, or kayaking back bays where the boats can’t follow. The margarita comes after, once the gear is rinsed and the sun is going down.
Water first, margaritas after. He never mixes diving, boating or paddling with drinking.
This site is a personal hobby: notes on the tequilas he tries, the margaritas he mixes at home, and the ones worth ordering when he’s out.
In his own words
“I didn’t pick the name. I knocked it off a table. Turns out that’s the best way to get one. Now it’s less a nickname and more a reminder: slow down, laugh at yourself and clean up your spills.
Most of my best days start on the water. Maybe a fly rod on the flats before the wind picks up, maybe a long paddle with nowhere to be, maybe a dive where the only sound is my own breathing. They end with sandy feet, a sunset that takes its time, and a margarita made right: fresh lime, good tequila and a hard shake.
That’s the whole philosophy. Enjoy every minute, because you only get each one once.”
The all-time favorite
Don Julio 1942. I met it the right way: after a long day of diving off Fort Lauderdale with my best dive buddy. Gear rinsed, salt still in our hair, sun dropping low, and he poured two glasses neat. Caramel, vanilla, a little toasted oak, and a finish that takes its time, just like that evening did.
Some bottles you buy. Some you’re introduced to. That one came with a story, and it still tastes like a good dive.
Things people say about Joey Margarita
- Fish don’t take his fly. They accept his invitation.
- At 60 feet down, his breathing is calmer than most people’s naps.
- He doesn’t rush a margarita. The margarita waits for him.
- The tide checks his schedule before it goes out.
- Even his spills are legendary.
- Traffic jams make him more relaxed.
- He has never been in a hurry. Hurry once tried him, and left calmer.
- When he says “one more,” he means one more minute of the sunset.
- He has never once checked his watch during a sunset.
- He has paddled through a squall and never spilled a drop of chill.
- Dolphins slow down to keep pace with his paddleboard.
- His hammock has a waiting list.
My go-to
A classic on the rocks. Fresh lime, 100% agave blanco, half salt rim. Simple things, done right, never go out of style.
Favorite tequila style
Blanco for margaritas, because you want the agave bright and loud. Reposado for sipping slow, while the sun goes down.
Favorite day on the water
Up before the sun, paddling out on glass-calm water. Fly rod on the flats while the tide turns, a lazy kayak home, and a sunset that takes its time. Then, and only then, a margarita.
Salt rim?
Half. Options are a lifestyle.