Though every day should be celebrating one of the most respected and nodded-to mixtures of all time—tequila, citrus, and sugar—unfortunately we are relegated to one National Margarita Day per year. But here are ways for you to not only celebrate the day itself but extend it into next week.

Coconut margarita at Lola’s [pictured above]

2030 E. Fourth St., Fourth Street Corridor | 4140 Atlantic Ave., Bixby Knolls

This magical concoction—first served to me before it ever became anything official with its bar offerings—is a part of Lola’s expanded menu.

Known as “I’m in Love with the Coco,” this wonderfully boozy take on a margarita—they aren’t light on their pour of tequila to cut through their house-made coconut cream—is dangerously sippable and very dessert-like. The only caveat I present with that last bit is that it isn’t dessert-y enough to not want a second.

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Margaritas at Fuego inside Hotel Maya. Photo by Mona Shadia.
Classic margarita at Fuego

700 Queensway Drive, Queen Mary Complex

Fuego at Hotel Maya—a space that I have called one of the places to escape the city without leaving the city—has unparalleled views of Downtown Long Beach from its north-facing shore. It’s a point worth selling, especially when sipping on cocktails.

House margaritas are seven bucks during happy hour—and don’t think these margaritas are light pours. Much like Los Compadres, they’re heavy on the tequila and balanced out with house made sweet’n’sour that can hang with some of the best in the city.

On top of this, you can meander their mini-beaches (fire pits included) or walk along the shore sidewalk all the way to the Queen Mary. It’s an enchanting Long Beach experience if there ever was one.

Insider tip: Take Long Beach Transit’s free Passport to the area so you don’t have to pay for parking.

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The pepino margarita at Padre. Photo by Brian Addison.
Pepino margarita at Padre

525 E Broadway, Downtown

For all its ups and downs, Padre—and especially its upstairs spaces Mezcalero and Whatever Lola Wants, each of which I have sung their praises in terms of both cocktails and vibes—has been spectacularly consistent in their margarita offerings.

And still on the menu since day one has been their cucumber-centric Pepino Margarita. Unlike its classic and tamarind offerings, the Pepino holds a tad back on the agave syrup and pushes through the coolness of the cucumber.

It is a classic combo that rarely tires.

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The Chamango Margarita at Los Compadres. Courtesy of Yelp!/Lorraine B.
Chamango margarita at Los Compadres

3229 E. Anaheim St., Zaferia | 1144 Pine Ave., Downtown

This adults-only take on the famed Mexican mango drink known as a chamango (also known as mangonada) is certainly worth the order. Add onto this its colorful use of the Mexican candy Banderilla as your straw and it’s proof that this fruity concoction is worth the sugar rush.

But let’s be frank: Los Compadres is good for any margarita, be it a classic or tamarind margarita.

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A straight-up margarita from Stache Bar. Photo by Brian Addison.
The dive margarita at Stache Bar

941 E. Fourth St., Fourth Street Corridor

Is Stache really a dive? Arguable. Is Stache one-thousand-percent Long Beach? Yes.

For one, it is a hole-in-the-wall that, to this day, offers a stellar whiskey selection after opening almost a decade ago. And just recently, its offering of grub gives us some of the best bar food in the city. In this sense, Stache Bar has maintained a balance of high-brow and low-brow that perhaps only The Hawk has paralleled—and for that alone, it deserves applause.

Plus, you can get a great margarita.

Stiff and quality-driven—like anything else you’d expect from this watering hole—it uses house-made sweet and sour, organic blue agave, and your choice of tequila.

Brian Addison is a columnist and editor for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media at FacebookTwitterInstagram, and LinkedIn.