5 Tequila Cocktails for Cinco de Mayo

Tequila Old Fashioned

Just Like Abuelo Used to Make

3 oz tequila
1 Tablespoon of agave nectar
Dash of bitters
Dash of carbonated water
Orange peel (for garnish)
Cherry (for garnish)

This recipe twists the classic Old Fashioned, one of the easiest drinks to make in the barman’s arsenal, by using tequila instead of whiskey and agave nectar instead of sugar. The result? A mature cocktail that hints at sweetness rather than electrifying your taste buds.

To make: Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass, muddle, fill with ice and garnish with an orange peel and a cherry.

Paloma

Because the Margarita Was So 2008

6 oz grapefruit soda
2 oz tequila
0.5 oz lime juice

Americans love to associate island drinking with Margaritas, but down in Mexico, many prefer the Paloma, which substitutes triple sec or simple syrup for grapefruit soda. In addition to lending a citrus flavor, the soda also infuses the drink with carbonation.

To make: Salt the rim of the glass if you want, but otherwise get right down to mixing: pour the tequila and grapefruit juice over ice and top with lime juice.

Spiced Passion

A Tequila Cosmo for the Señoritas

2 oz tequila
1 oz lime juice
1 oz triple sec
0.75 oz cranberry juice
Lime slice (for garnish)

It takes a confident man to drink a Cosmopolitan in public. If anyone knew that a Spiced Passion was simply a Cosmo with tequila instead of vodka, it’d take confidence to drink that, too. Luckily, the majority of the general public remains ignorant, so if you want a sweet, easy-to-drink cocktail without any judgement, go for it.

To make: Add tequila, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice to a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake well, then strain and pour. Garnish with the lime slice.

Brave Bull

Jake LaMotta in a Glass

2 oz tequila
1 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

Remember watching The Big Lebowski and discovering the White Russian? Allow us to blow your minds again. A dark drink that you can’t screw up, the Brave Bull makes a great “dessert” sipper.

To make: Pour tequila over ice and add the liqueur. Sip. Comment on how well tequila and Kahlua pair together. Sip again.

El Diablo

The Devil, For You Non-Spanish Speakers

3 oz ginger ale
2 oz tequila
3/4 oz crème de cassis
1 lime wedge (for garnish)

Sweet crème de cassis and biting ginger mix with the sour fruitiness of tequila to create a well-balanced cocktail. As a bonus, the heavy crème de cassis sinks into the lighter ginger ale and tequila, giving the drink a lava lamp-like aesthetic that looks damn good on a bar.

To make: Pour tequila into a glass over ice, then add the ginger ale and crème de cassis (it’ll sink to the bottom). Squeeze the lime over the drink, drop in the peel, and serve.

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