Whereas there’s at all times a time and place for a traditional margarita (or one in every of its many extremely drinkable variations), there’s a lot extra you are able to do with tequila. There are additionally extra varieties of every model, from añejo to reposado to blanco, out there in the USA than ever, due to the agave spirit’s meteoric rise previously 20 years. In actual fact, extra tequila is now offered within the U.S. than in some other nation, together with Mexico. Why not take advantage of all this agave abundance by getting inventive behind the bar? From underrated classics like Palomas and Tequila Sunrises to refreshing riffs on the Negroni and Outdated-Long-established, listed here are the perfect tequila cocktail recipes.
Our tackle this iconic Mexican cocktail swaps out the sugary soda for recent lime and grapefruit juice, yielding an ultra-quaffable drink bursting with citrus taste. Get the recipe >
A cross between a Paloma and a Moscow Mule, this refreshing fuschia cocktail pairs tequila blanco with ginger beer, grapefruit and lime juice, and a do-it-yourself hibiscus infusion. The result’s as pleasing to the attention as it’s to the tongue. Get the recipe >
Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine create the eponymous dawn on this ’70s icon that really began out as a traditional Prohibition-era cocktail. Get the recipe >
Named for the flower within the daisy household, the Caléndula is a riff on the daisy cocktail, which is alleged to be a precursor to the margarita. Brightened with recent lime and pleasantly natural from the inclusion of bitter liqueurs, it’s the perfect summer time occasion drink. Get the recipe >
We perfected this tequila-cucumber cocktail for our thirtieth anniversary occasion and have been discovering any excuse to make it since. Bolstered by delicate aloe liqueur and two sorts of vermouth, it’s the proper showcase to your favourite tequila. Get the recipe >
This savory tequila-based cocktail, developed by Oklahoma Metropolis restaurant Ma Der Lao Kitchen, channels the flavors of jeow som, a fish sauce- and chile-spiked Lao dipping sauce. Get the recipe >
With a cut up base of tequila and mezcal, this vigorous drink shines with zippy pineapple and tart key lime. Get the recipe >
Swap out gin for tequila, then add the standard Campari and candy vermouth to make this satisfying snack-sized Negroni from New York Metropolis’s iconic Lengthy Island Bar. Get the recipe >
If summer time had an official mascot, it will be a toss-up between fireflies, sprinklers, sizzling canine, and lemonade. This model of the latter is rendered boozy and smoky-sweet with the juice of grilled lemons and limes, toasted easy syrup, and tequila. Get the recipe >
Honey has a novel means to mood spice. On this refreshing however fiery tequila-based drink from New York Metropolis’s Little Department, it tames the warmth of each cayenne pepper and Cholula sizzling sauce. Get the recipe >
Exceedingly well-balanced, this juicy cocktail will get its sweetness from yellow watermelon, natural freshness from Chartreuse and basil, and an astringent kick from tequila. Get the recipe >
Selfmade árbol chile-spiked grenadine brings smokiness and a contact of warmth and sweetness to this in any other case traditional grapefruit-, tequila-, and soda-based cocktail. Get the recipe >
Spanish for “little blood,” sangrita is a standard Mexican accompaniment for tequila. Bolstered with Clamato and Worcestershire sauce, this tomato-based model is sort of a super-savory deconstructed Bloody Maria. Get the recipe >
This punch is mainly a sherr-ified large-format margarita. Sudden however pure lovers—oloroso sherry and tequila—are married along with lime, sugar, a splash of Averna, and a grating of nutmeg for a wealthy, autumnal bitter. Get the recipe >
Impressed by the famed California seaside metropolis, this refreshing tequila cocktail is infused with grapefruit and pisco (a South American brandy), then softened with floral Lillet Blanc. Get the recipe >
A blood-colored tequila and beet cocktail, the Moradita (“Little Loss of life”), is a bracing, nearly healthy-tasting drink with some actual physique and only a trace of richness. Get the recipe >
Candy cantaloupe is a pure companion for tequila. Right here, agave nectar and recent lemon juice are used to regulate the sweetness degree, then the entire thing is completed with a melon ball and chia seed garnish. Get the recipe >
Whilst you’ve acquired the cantaloupe out, attempt shaking it up with tequila, cointreau, lime juice, and orgeat for this cocktail named after calavera catrina (“dapper cranium”), a vital image of Día de los Muertos. Get the recipe >
This vibrant, summery cocktail begins with a tea constituted of dried hibiscus, then provides tequila, a rosemary-infused easy syrup (romero is Spanish for rosemary, therefore the identify of the drink!), and recent lime juice. Get the recipe >
Aged reposado tequila provides clean vanilla notes to this mild, citrusy twist on a traditional Outdated-Long-established. Get the recipe >
This refreshing, aromatic drink mixes grassy tequila with spicy ginger beer and a syrup infused with bergamot-flavored Earl Gray tea. Get the recipe >
Floral, piney inexperienced cardamom and clean tequila make for an sudden, however subtle, taste mixture on this citrusy cocktail. Get the recipe >