Marcos Altamirano has been working in the restaurant business since 1996 when he arrived from his hometown in Oaxaca, Mexico. Not speaking a word of English, he landed at Pascual’s on Victoria Street as a dishwasher, pulling the late-night shift. Fast forward 26 years and Altamirano has bettered his skills to become one of Santa Barbara’s premier mixologists.
Known best for his array of signature margaritas, he has loyal following among locals and visitors and is a fixture behind the bar at Flor De Maiz on Cabrillo Blvd. “I learned from the best,” he said. That meant first watching the fast-paced bartenders at Pascual’s (one of Santa Barbara’s busiest night spots in the 1990s) and then later moving to bartending at Mesa Café. “They showed me their secrets and I’ve learned over time to add some of my own to make the flavors one of a kind.”
Altamirano says you can’t cut corners when good margaritas are concerned. It starts with 100 percent blue agave tequila, nothing less. Then fresh-squeezed lime juice and pure agave nectar. “When you have that as a base, everything else, spices, liqueurs, juices, or just straight up, will work for the right taste.” The “straight up” version is the House, Flor De Maiz Margarita, of which he crafts over 300 on a slow day. He says on one “magic Saturday” he and his team made over 1,000. “I honestly lost count it was so busy.”
One of his signature favorites is the Margarita Guadalajara, which features blended watermelon-cucumber juice, fresh lime, organic agave syrup, and mint, and is finished with Hawaiian black lava salt on the rim. On the spicy side, he offers his Margarita Tamaarindo con Chile, which features a serrano- infused tequila, tamarindo syrup, juice from fresh limes and garnished with a red chile de arbol.
Altamirano says he has a passion for the work he does … always learning, and hopes he can continue for years to come. Margarita aficionados everywhere are rooting for him to do just that.
–RB
29 East Cabrillo Blvd.
