10 Best Rims For Your Margarita Beyond Salt, According To Experts

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There's a reason why salt rims are common on margaritas. Those little white rocks rimming the glass gussy up the drink, making it even more enticing. After all, if the cocktail looks inviting, odds are you're going to enjoy it even more. But salt isn't just there for looks; it complements the drink, as well.

"Salinity can play a major role in cocktails and inherently enhances flavors," says mixologist and frequent "Bar Rescue" consultant Mia Mastroianni, "and the margarita and all of its variations are no exception." While Kosher white salt is the typical choice, it's not the only option. It's not uncommon for chefs and bartenders to elevate their margaritas with a chunky salt like pink or black Himalayan salt for a contrast of color. It's an easy alternative that Mastroianni reveals "can add an immediate, unexpected wow-factor" without changing the cocktail's flavor.

Of course, while salt may be the classic choice, it's not the only option for your margarita. In fact, many bartenders are rimming margarita glasses with everything from Tajín to citrus zest to brightly colored sprinkles. Each of these can transform the look of a drink, and alter the flavor, as well. With that in mind, we spoke to six experts about the best margarita rim alternatives to change things up, whether for flavor or aesthetics. These 10 options will definitely alter the way you see a margarita, and you may even find a new rim that forever changes the way you make the cocktail.

A rim that's taking the world by storm in 2026 is the Tajín rim. It's become such a popular choice that one expert told us she wouldn't recommend it because she believed everyone else would. And we understand why they feel this way, because we've noticed a new trend recently. When we've ordered a margarita recently, the question is no longer with or without salt — it's with salt, no salt, or with Tajín.

Taylor Samuels, the owner of Las Almas Rotas – a bar that specializes in tequila, and has several margaritas and palomas on its menu – tells us he likes Tajín because it "enhances the lime, but adds a little tang and spice, so the drink feels brighter and more flavorful with every sip."

In case you don't know what Tajín is, it's a blend of ground chili peppers, lime, and sea salt. The end result is a spice that's a little salty, a little sour, and a little spicy. There are so many ways to use it, including creating a big bowl of restaurant-worthy guacamole. While we usually take salt on our margarita rims, we also occasionally like to add a Tajín rim to a classic margarita, and it seems we aren't the only ones.

Dried flowers have been used to make different drinks and teas for centuries. Originally used for medicinal purposes, dried flowers are still used in various ways, from creating home remedies to enhancing cocktails. A common choice for dried flowers is hibiscus, and its sugar is a great rim option for your margarita according to Carmen López Torres and Mia Mastroianni.

The deep red hue from hibiscus turns any liquid it touches into a beautiful magenta. But the color isn't the only reason bartenders are drawn to it. The flower also has a wonderfully sweet and sour flavor, making it a popular choice for agua frescas, as well as various cocktails. Both Torres and Mastroianni like to use the dried petals as a garnish; they'll crush them, mix that with a little salt and sugar, then turn it into a beautiful hibiscus sugar rim.

Torres, a mixologist and the brand ambassador for Mezcal Union, says mixing the flowers together with salt and sugar creates a "deliciously crispy" mezcal margarita rim. She explained the flower's sour notes balance out the mezcal margarita, while Mastroianni believes the floral notes from hibiscus "add a subtle aromatic element" to a cucumber margarita.

Plain salt and flavored salts are always great choices, especially if you're creating a fruity or herbal margarita instead of the classic. But "if you're looking to ditch the salt altogether, you can branch out to flavored sugars," said Mia Mastroianni. 

If you're unsure how adding sugar will enhance your margarita, Mastroianni explained that "granulated sugar can be utilized and blended the same way as salt for adding flavor." This means you could add any spice or herb to the sugar to create the perfect margarita rim.

One of Mastroianni's favorites is cinnamon sugar. This not only adds a sweetness, but the cinnamon creates a warmth that would be perfect for an apple cider margarita. You can find cinnamon sugar at plenty of markets or online these days, but it's easy enough to make your own — as long as you have the perfect ratio of cinnamon to sugar. Once you've created your cinnamon sugar, we'd recommend pairing it with a mezcal margarita. The smokiness from the mezcal brings out the smokiness of the cinnamon, making it an ideal drink to enjoy outside by a roaring campfire.

A condiment that's currently having a moment, hot honey can be added to virtually everything, including charcuterie boards and pizza. But entertainment expert Paul Zahn says it also makes a great option for the rim of your margarita. Typically water, lime, or lemon juice are used to get that salt or sugar to stick to your glass. But Zahn, told us hot honey "will give your margarita that sweet and spicy rim."

What we like about this is if you make hot honey at home, you can make it as spicy as you like. Yet if you don't have the time or desire, there are numerous hot honey brands on the market that will work just as well. If you do choose to go the hot honey route, Zahn recommends only dipping half the glass into it because it has a lot of flavors and you don't want it to distract from the drink itself.

But hot honey is only one piece of the perfect margarita rim puzzle. "I love using hot honey on a half rim and then dipping that in a combination of sea salt and sugar," Zahn said, as "this will provide some spice, salty goodness, and sweetness."

If you're looking for something a little more herbaceous, Carmen López Torres recommends some pulverized lemongrass. A woody stalk that bares a striking resemblance to scallions, lemongrass is frequently used in soups, stews, and sauces, adding a brightness thanks to hints of lemon and ginger. While Torres believes the flavor definitely adds to the margarita, she recommends using it as a margarita rim because of its intense scent.

"Flavor comes from our nose," Torres explained, "so the scent of lemongrass already hints something herbal is coming." She first experienced this rim at the now-defunct Mexico City bar where the bartenders pulverized the lemongrass, then mixed it with both sugar and salt to create an herby, sweet, and salty blend that hit all the right notes. That concoction was then added to the rim of a glass filled with a rosemary infused mezcal margarita, and the final result was a drink whose smoky herbaceousness was enhanced by the lemongrass.

A popular pantry staple, everything bagel seasoning has become the "it" seasoning in recent years being sprinkled over everything from popcorn to sushi rolls – and even works as a replacement for salt on your margarita glass. A combination of black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, salt, garlic, and onion, you won't have to look to hard to find this seasoning as iterations of it can be found on countless market shelves across the country.

Its popularity stems from its unique nutty and salty flavor, which several people claim to have created sometime in the 1970s or '80s. No matter who came up with the delectable mixture of seeds and spices, it's a seasoning that Paul Zahn believes will keep guests guessing while elevating your margarita.

"This works well with margaritas because it really levels up the drink and gives your cocktail a rollercoaster of flavors," Zahn explained to Tasting Table. While the entertainment expert recommends the seasoning for margaritas, he says it also works well on the rim of a michelada or Bloody Maria.

Another option for those looking for a rim that's on the savory side but aren't interested in salt is ground white peppercorn powder. Dylan Harris, the head bartender at the Mexico Ceaty and El Último speakeasy in San Antonio, tells us it works really well with a mezcal margarita. "White peppercorn is really interesting whenever you mix it with agave spirits," Harris explained. "It doesn't give it that spiciness. It almost gives it a savory, very earthy, almost a grassy taste to it."

Not nearly as spicy as the classic black peppercorn, white pepper is often used to season light colored foods (like chicken gravy or mashed potatoes) since it blends in well. As far as its flavor, like Harris noted, white pepper has an earthy quality with that bite hitting on the finish instead of up front like its black counterpart.

While white pepper is a little harder to find, Harris says you can always get it on Amazon. Once in your possession, simply add a few whole peppercorns to a mortar and pestle, crush them, and rim the glass. But this spice shouldn't be paired with any old agave spirit. Harris recommends it with mezcal, as a "good smoky, herbaceous, very earthy mezcal, using a ... crushed white peppercorn rim, that's going to do wonders for that."

Found on a lot of margarita menus these days, the spicy margarita has become a popular choice for those who want to kick their drink up a notch. Frequently made with chili infused tequilas, spicy margaritas have that heat from the very first sip. A Tajín rim is a great choice to add even more spice to that firey cocktail, but Mia Mastroianni says that if you really want to kick up the heat and add a little smokiness at the same time, the best thing to do is rim your glass with chipotle powder and salt.

Chipotle powder has many uses, though it may seem like an odd choice for a cocktail rim. But Mastroianni insists it adds depth and complexity to the drinks, especially if you're using grapefruit juice. She believes the smokiness from the chili powder "provides a nice contrast to the crisp grapefruit notes." While the mixologist recommends using chipotle powder with grapefruit, she admits that the smoky heat would work well with any fruity margarita.

We've all seen toasted coconut sprinkled over magic bars or turned into adorable little macaroons. But rimming a margarita glass? That's something we aren't accustomed to. Master mixologist Mia Mastroianni insists that "toasted coconut on a rim can add a tropical element to a margarita." Tropicality and margaritas? Sounds like a match made in heaven and something we're surprised we didn't think of sooner.

Tiki drinks may be the popular and obvious choice when relaxing on a beach or by a pool, but if you're not in the mood for rum, a margarita works just as well. After all, that bright punch of citrus is the perfect antidote for a hot, sunny day. Made with lime juice and orange liqueur, a classic margarita rimmed with toasted coconut just makes sense as it brings a sweet nuttiness to the drink while cutting the tartness from the lime juice. Plus, a coconut rim — as long as the coconut flakes are evenly toasted – makes the drink look even more interesting than that standard wedge of lime.

Now that we've covered several alternatives to the salted rim, both Dylan Harris and MezQuite's lead bartender, Randy Tamez, threw us a curve ball. In fact, both agreed that the best way to enjoy a margarita — and how they happen to drink their margs — is without salt or any other type of rim. "I honestly think the best experience you can get is having no rim at all," Harris told us, particularly if it's a high-quality option. "It really puts all of the essence on the tequila and the cocktail itself."

While Harris admits that salt can absolutely enhance the cocktail, if the drink is made correctly with a top notch tequila, that should be enough and the drink will be delicious without any additional garnish. Tamez said that "salt has a time and place when it comes to agave spirits," like if you're doing tequila shots with a bottom shelf tequila (as the salt will help ease the harshness). Otherwise, he described himself as "a firm believer that the work that gets put into making a remarkable agave spirit should be admired and recognized, salt to me just muddies the water."

As for which margarita is the best choice to drink without salt? Harris says it's a Tommy's margarita on the rocks since it's just three ingredients: agave syrup, fresh lime juice, and blanco tequila.