Entertaining for Cinco de Mayo? Surprise your guests with unexpected twists on the usual tequila cocktails. Go for the gold with a Grand Margarita featuring Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, an exceptional blend of fine cognac and bitter orange liqueur. Infuse your own tequila with Patron Silver and fresh jalapeño to spice up a special blood orange or beet juice margarita.
Experiment with smoky mezcal, herbaceous Amaro Montenegro, or Sorel, a unique hibiscus liqueur with an exotic blend of clove, cassia, ginger and nutmeg. Or forget margaritas altogether by mixing up Mexico’s #1 favorite: the refreshing Paloma and her “skinny” sister recipe. The 1800 Agua Fresca is so refreshing, it’s almost like a fruit salad in a glass. And for a sweet taste of history, rediscover the iconic La Batanga featuring Mexican Coca Cola and stirred with a knife to honor the drink’s creator, Don Javier of the La Capilla bar in Tequila, Mexico.
GRAND MARGARITA
.75 parts Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
1.5 parts Tequila
.75 parts Fresh Lime Juice
.25 parts Agave Nectar
Lime wheel to garnish
Salt optional
METHOD: Fill a wide, shallow dish with 2-3 mm of fine salt. Cut a lime in half at the width and rub around half of the rim of a margarita glass. Cut a thin, crosswise slice from one of the lime halves for garnish. Holding glass upside down, dip wet half delicately into the salt. Shake Grand Marnier, tequila and lime juice with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into glass and apply lime garnish to the rim.
SPICY MARGARITA
1.5 oz PATRÓN Silver infused with jalapeño*
.5 oz Flavor Puree (blood orange, mango or fresh beet)
3 oz Lime Juice
Salt rim
Lime wedge and sliced jalapeño for garnish
METHOD: Combine all liquid ingredients over ice in a shaker. Shake well and strain into a salt-rimmed double old fashioned glass.
*To infuse Patrón Silver with jalapeño, place two whole jalapeños (cut down the middle, with the seeds removed) into the bottle of Patrón and let it rest for 12 hours.
THE PEOPLE’S MARGARITA
2 oz. Teremana Blanco
.75 oz. Lime Juice
.5 oz. Agave Nectar
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
Lime wheel
METHOD: Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel, pineapple leaves & sea salt (as desired).
DEVIL’S MARGARITA
.5 oz Sorel
1.5 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz fresh lime juice
.75 simple syrup
METHOD: Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake well. Strain into coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
LA BATANGA
1.5 oz El Tequileño Blanco
.25 oz Lime Juice
Top with Mexican Coca Cola
Margarita Salt (or coarse salt)
METHOD: Salt the rim of a highball glass and fill it with ice. Add El Tequileño Blanco and lime juice. Top with cola. Stir with a knife to keep it authentic to the 1964 recipe’s creator. Garnish with a lime wheel.
CAZADORES PALOMA
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
4 oz Grapefruit Soda
1 Pinch Salt
METHOD: Add all ingredients into a salted highball glass filled with ice. Stir with a spoon. Garnish with a lime wedge.
SKINNY PALOMA
1 part Dulce Vida Grapefruit Tequila
3 Parts Topo Chico or Club Soda
Splash Fresca or Zero Lemon Lime Soda
Squeeze of fresh lime
Lime garnish
METHOD: Add all ingredients into a salted highball glass filled with ice. Stir with a spoon. Garnish with a lime wedge.
1800 AGUA FRESCA
MONTE & MEZCAL
2 oz Amaro Montenegro
2 oz mezcal
METHOD: Fill a glass with ice, preferable 1 large cube. Pour the Amaro Montenegro and mezcal in the glass and stir to mix. Garnish with an orange twist.
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