Due to Cinco De Mayo coming up I decided to write about the best mixed drinks with Tequila. Of course the best way to drink tequila would be to go to a tequila tasting in Nuevo Vallarta. However, for those who can’t, I am introducing a few margarita variations and will end with some richer after dinner and dessert drinks.
Many people mistake Cinco de Mayo for Mexican Independence Day. To clarify, it’s not. Instead, according to History.com the holiday celebrates a single battle victory on May 5, 1861. In short, Mexico suffered severe financial problems at the time causing them to default on payments to the European governments of France, Britain, and Spain. As a result, these governments sent forces to retrieve their money. While Spain and Britain reached agreements with Mexico, France did not. With Napoleon in charge France sent additional troops to Mexico and the Battle of Puebla ensued.
Although the Mexicans were greatly outnumbered by the French, they won the battle that day. That is to say that this symbolic victory gave hope and increased the resistance movement. Due to pressure from the U.S. France eventually left Mexico. To sum up, the day is mainly celebrated in the Puebla area and is not even a national holiday in Mexico.
However, here in the United States the holiday has been widely celebrated since the 1960’s when activists promoted the event for cultural awareness. Moreover the holiday is celebrated in this country with parades, parties, mariachi bands, folk dancing, and traditional foods and drink. Of course it is also a great excuse to have some great mixed drinks with tequila. So here are some recipes to make at your fiesta:
Best Mixed Drinks with Tequila: Margarita Varieties
The Basic Margarita: the Most Common Mixed Drink with Tequila
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. Tequila
- 1/2 oz. Orange Liqueur
- 1/2 oz. lime juice
- 1/2 oz. simple syrup
Of course you should always squeeze your own lime juice. Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. This is a basic recipe. You can try some of our variations below or test out some of your own. You can also toss the ingredients with ice in the blender with some fruit for a frozen margarita. However try to use fruit without much pulp or your drink will come out more like a smoothie. Another option is to puree and strain the fruit first so you will just have the juice to add to the drink. If you are the ultimate planner, you could even freeze the strained juices first in ice cube trays to use in a frozen drink. This prevents the drink from becoming watered down as the ice melts.
Cherry Tomato Margarita
Ingredients
- 1 oz. cherry tomato juice
- 1 1/2 oz. Tequila
- 1/2 oz. Orange Liqueur
- 1/2 oz. lime juice
- 1/2 oz. simple syrup
- coarse salt for rimming glass
Directions
Of course the best way to make this these mixed drinks with Tequila is to make homemade salsa and use the strained juices from the fresh tomatoes. I usually puree my tomatoes in my food processor along with the other ingredients. However, when I plan on making Cherry Tomato Margaritas, I puree them first and strain prior to adding other ingredients. For extra flavor you can add cilantro when blending the tomatoes. If you are not making homemade salsa, you can muddle 3-4 cherry tomatoes in a cocktail shaker with a pinch of salt instead.
- Rim chilled martini glass with salt. We use Himalayan Pink Salt.
- Then add the rest of the ingredients with ice. After that strain into the chilled glass and garnish with a cherry tomato.
Likewise you can find our recipe for a cranberry margarita here.
We find Martini glasses work well when you are making unfrozen margaritas. Here are some sponsored links in you need to buy some glassware.
Jalepeno Margarita
This was based on a jalepeno mojito I had at a restaurant years ago. However, they used a fresh slice of jalepeno in the drink which didn’t give enough flavor. Consequently, my husband and I decided to try it with crushed jarred jalepenos and started adding the juice. It eventually morphed into a margarita instead of a mojito and soon became a neighborhood favorite.
Ingredients
- 1/1/2 oz. Tequila
- 1/2 oz. Orange Liqueur
- 1 1/2 oz. sour mix
- 1 tsp. jalepeno juice plus chopped jalepenos to taste
- slice of fresh jalepeno for garnish
Directions
- Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Then garnish with a jalepeno slice.
Best Mixed Drinks with Tequila: Evening Drinks
While Margaritas are refreshing and go great with Mexican food these drinks stand alone. Moreover, these next mixed drinks with tequila are on the rich side and make great desserts or evening pick me ups.
Mexican Speedball
This is a great drink if you are tired and have a long evening ahead. You can also substitute an ounce of espresso for the coffee. We had Ol’ Santy Egg Nog Liqueur left over from our Christmas drinks, but feel free to use another cream based liqueur such as Chila Cinnamon Cream, Cape Marula Cream Liqueur, or Fulton’s Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur. You can even change it up depending on what time of year you make the drink. For an extra kick, you can freeze leftover coffee ahead of time in an ice cube tray to serve with this drink.
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Tequila
- 1/2 oz. Kahlua
- 1/2 oz. Ol’ Santy Egg Nog Liqueur
- 1 1/2 oz. cold coffee
- cinnamon
Directions
- Shake liquid ingredients with ice.
- After that, strain into a chilled cocktail glass filled with ice.
- Then sprinkle with cinnamon.
Black Sombrero
This is a traditional tequila drink most bartenders should know how to make. However, we like to use chocolate or vanilla vodka for extra flavor instead of plain vodka.
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Tequila
- 1 oz. Chocolate Vodka
- 2 oz. Kahlua
Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Then strain into a chilled cocktail glass filled with ice.
I Dream of Tijuana
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz. Amaretto
- 1/2 oz. Old Santy Egg Nog Liqueur
- 1/2 oz. half n half
- 1/2 oz. Kahlua
- 1 oz. Tequila
Directions
- Mix all ingredients with ice except Tequila. Then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Finally, float Tequila on top.
Don’t forget Tequila shots! Here is some sponsored products from Amazon to get you started:
Whether at home or in public make sure to celebrate responsibly.
Donna Emperador is a travel and food blogger and copywriter. Donna believes in learning about different cultures while sharing good food and cocktails. She has lived in South Florida for over 20 years and enjoys spending time exploring the road to find unique places to share with readers. She can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.