Margarita’s Smoky Cousin, To Go

While margaritas remain one of the most reliable crowd-pleasers on any cocktail menu, the Thank You, Enjoy #6 at Sushi-san pushes the familiar format in a new direction. The drink layers Flecha Azul tequila and Banhez mezcal, plus lime for bright tang, jalapeño for clean heat and cucumber to soften the spice.

“The Thank You, Enjoy #6 is all about balance: smoke, heat and freshness working together,” says Darryl Smith, managing partner of the Japanese cuisine concept. “The goal was a cocktail that feels complex but still clean and easy to drink.” Guests are drawn to the specialty beverage because it combines elements of the familiar and the unexpected. The to-go format, cleverly packaged in a Chinese takeout “oyster pail” with a straw, further cements the novelty.

A version of the Thank You, Enjoy #6 has been on the menu since Sushi-san first opened in 2017, and, over the years, the drink has evolved with refinements to its flavor profile. Smith says the biggest challenge was striking the right balance between tequila and mezcal. “Too much mezcal and the smoke overwhelms everything; the cucumber and jalapeño lose their purpose. Too little and you’re basically just drinking a margarita,” Smith says, noting that the current iteration—the sixth, hence the name—is the best yet. “Once we locked in the balance, everything else fell into place.”

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