Creator of the largest margarita gives her special advice for making the classic cocktail

Hazy clouds blanketed the skies of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on 11 July – but towering over the crowd and blocking out the sun was a gigantic bright green margarita glass, which was slowly but surely being filled with over 34,000 litres of the popular cocktail. 

To honour the 136th anniversary of Tijuana, and to celebrate with the community that created the cocktail, Faviola Partida Dunn – the owner of Tequila Cachanilla, a Baja California-based tequila brand – wanted to showcase that when it comes to margaritas, the bigger, the better. 

So after years of planning, her team united with 142 gastronomy students, government officials from Baja California, Revista Binacional, and Constructora ICASA (all Mexico) to take the Guinness World Records title for the largest margarita, officially bringing the record back from Margaritaville in Las Vegas to Tijuana, where the cocktail originated. 

They completed the event at the Hipódromo Caliente, an iconic venue in Tijuana known for its historic ties to tourism and entertainment in the region, and invited everyone to taste the classic drink. 

After creating a one-of-a-kind refrigerated tankard with the help of Adrián Gamboa at CZebra Visuals, hundreds of volunteers spent over 10 hours pouring thousands of bottles of liquor into the 40,000-litre container. 

By the end of the day, 34,419.4 litres (7,579.7 imperial gallons) of margarita filled the giant tank, creating 38,000 individual cocktails for distribution – and an overall, incredible experience for everyone who lent a hand (and tried a sip).

And a few weeks after Faviola took her cocktail-making crown, she stopped by the Guinness World Records office in London to share how you can make the perfect margarita right at home!

“The margarita is very special for us, especially for me, since I was born in the city where it was created,” said Faviola. “Some say it was in Ensenada, others in Tijuana, but what is certain is that it comes from Baja California. And my city represents this state.

“That’s why making this drink is a tribute to my land. People love it because it brings friends and family together. It represents celebration, joy, and the spirit of Tijuana.”

Faviola first thought of the idea to make the largest margarita over eight years ago, when she was brainstorming ways she could bring attention to her region and her tequila company. When she finally was in the position to make the attempt, it still took three years for her to actualize her plans, including building a container big enough to store the margarita safely and figuring out the fastest way to get all the ingredients inside the tank.

Eventually, they were able to repurpose a wine tankard to fit their parameters, and tilted the vessel so the finished margarita could be poured from a spigot at the bottom. They also designed a pumping and distribution system specifically for the occasion, whereby multiple volunteers could dump the liquid into receptacles that funneled the mixture into the giant margarita. Graphics artists created a huge decal that wrapped around the outside of the tank, making it resemble the icy drink, and soon hundreds of volunteers were ready to help achieve Faviola’s dream.

“I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” said Adrián Gamboa, the visual communications expert who helped design the artwork on the tank. As a Mexican, he always wants to support good projects from his home country – but more than that, he loved the determination he saw in Faviola, and knew that she had a good product to share with the world. “When you put your heart and you put a vision that everybody understands, everybody follows,” he said.

And luckily, he wasn’t the only one who believed in Faviola’s dream: “Many companies, entrepreneurs, universities, families, friends, and the government joined in to give their best. I could never have done this alone — it was a powerful lesson on how essential teamwork is,” she said. “Their dedication made everything possible.”

On the day of the event, 142 gastronomy students from nearby universities arrived to help fill the tankard, along with dozens of other volunteers tasked with various jobs around the Hipódromo Caliente. Also present were representatives from the Ministry of Health and Guinness World Records Adjudicator Susana Reyes, who verified that everything was clean, safe, and meeting health standards.

“The entire city had the hope of achieving the record, and we had been working for a long time toward this common goal. We were undeniably nervous. There were things we hadn’t anticipated, and we had to solve them along the way,” said Faviola.

One unexpected problem arose midway through the event, when the forklift used for transporting pallets of bottles broke, and the volunteers suddenly were separated from 11 pallets worth of materials that they needed to fill the tank. 

At first, Faviola panicked at the thought of her dream slipping away just because of a mechanical issue. But then she saw the volunteers line up in a human chain between the pallets and the filling station, passing boxes by hand one-by-one over to the volunteers so they could avoid further delays and finish their record-breaking task. 

“This was a truly inspiring moment for all of us,” said Faviola, “And we realized that this event was bringing out the best in ourselves.”

And even though it was an exhausting task, everyone joined up and started singing, turning the difficult moment into a beautiful and motivating experience that left Faviola deeply moved. 

“It was [the] best moment that I will remember in my heart,” she said.

It ended up taking 10 hours for everyone to finish pouring all the ingredients into the giant vessel, and in the end they used: 1,530 bottles of Tequila Cachanilla, 3,031 bottles of Califrut Margarita mix, 3,824 bottles of Flamingo Triple Sec, 2,021 jugs of lime juice, and 3,824 bottles of sweetener from Jarabe Natural Madrileña Endulzante. A pinch’s worth of salt was also added for each drink, as well as for the rim of the cup, to taste.

And boy, did it taste good – especially after a hard day’s work!

“Almost like magic, when the record was achieved, all the fatigue disappeared and everyone celebrated together,” said Faviola.

“This drink… is one of the most typical of Mexico, and it’s loved all around the world. Knowing it was created in our state, in our city, was a huge commitment and a great challenge for all of us. On top of that, Las Vegas held the record, but I always believed it belonged to us. 

“Achieving it feels amazing and humbling. It’s not just a drink — it’s a celebration of Tijuana, our culture, and what can be achieved when a community works together.”

Tips and tricks for the perfect margarita

After Faviola and her team were finished celebrating (and recovering) from their amazing day, they flew out to the London Guinness World Records office to demonstrate exactly how you can recreate their award-winning margarita at home – although you might need to buy a bigger tank if you want to make a drink the same size as they did!

Adrian and Faviola at the office

“One of the most important ingredients in a margarita is tequila, which is truly Mexican,” said Faviola. “This margarita is made with a very special tequila, Cachanilla, crafted as a tribute to Baja California. It is an artisanal tequila, and that’s what speaks to the quality and excellence of our drink. 

“Along with choosing the best local suppliers and making it with love, this is why everyone loved [the drink],” she continued. “Our goal was not only to prepare the world’s largest margarita but also the most delicious one, and we succeeded.”

So, to make this delicious margarita, you’ll need:

• 1 oz. Tequila Cachanilla blanco, or a blanco tequila of your choice (“If you drink a margarita with a good tequila, you are never going to have a headache!” claims Faviola)
• 1.5 oz. Margarita mix, Faviola uses the Califrut brand
• 0.5 oz. Triple sec, or an orange liquor of your choice, Faviola uses Flamingo Triple Sec
• 1 oz. lime juice – fresh is always preferred!
• 0.5 oz. sweetener, they used Jarabe Natural Madrileña Endulzante
• Sea salt, to taste
• Lots of ice

Add your tequila, margarita mix, triple sec, lime juice, sweetener, and a hefty amount of ice to a cocktail shaker then shake vigorously until the mixture is cold. Add additional sweetener and salt to your taste, and enjoy the drink with your loved ones!

Faviola also mentions that fresh lime juice makes a huge difference in the quality of the drink, as well as how much ice you use. She also noted that many Mexicans don’t use a margarita mix, but it can be much more convenient, and her own Cachanilla brand is soon launching their own margarita mix that incorporates the exact ingredients she used in her record attempt.

“I knew that a Guinness World Records title was something big, but I never imagined that giving more than 100% – that extra you give in life – is what allows you to achieve truly wonderful things,” she said. “The lesson I take from this is that great achievements come from giving your all, and it wasn’t just me who learned it – the whole team did too.

“An example of that is being here… preparing margaritas with you. It is a great pride to bring this drink – which turned out delicious – to share with everyone.”

Congratulations again, Faviola – thank you for sharing your love for the margarita with the world, you are Officially Amazing!