Mexico’s Cinco de Mayo holiday falls on a Monday this year, so make sure it’s no less festive than a weekend celebration with these exquisito tequila and mezcal cocktails. Spice up your liquid lunch with a Jalapeño Margarita. Turn up the Happy Hour joy with unusual ingredients like beets and tomatoes. And class up your nightcap with a champagne flute of Sparkling Cristalino.
ELEVATED PALOMA
Recipe from Mayenda Tequila
2 oz Mayenda Reposado
1 oz Grapefruit juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Honey Syrup
A pinch of smoked salt
Top with Club Soda
Garnish: Brûlée’d grapefruit wedge
Method: Build all ingredients except club soda into shaker tin with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice and top with club soda. Garnish with brulee’d grapefruit wedge.
WORLD’S FIRST REPOSADO MARGARITA
Recipe from Herradura Tequila
2 oz. Tequila Herradura Reposado
1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
½ – ¾ oz. Agave Nectar
Salt (garnish)
Lime Wheel (garnish)
Gold Dust (garnish)
Method: Add first three ingredients to a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a margarita glass half-rimmed with gold-dusted salt over a large ice cube. Garnish with gold-dusted lime.
ILEGAL MEZCAL MARGARITA
Recipe from Ilegal Mezcal
2 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Agave Nectar
Method: Shake with ice, strain into a pre-salted rimmed rocks glass
CASAMIGOS SPICY JALAPEÑO MARGARITA
Recipe from Casamigos Tequila
1.5 oz. Casamigos Jalapeño Tequila
.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz. Agave Syrup
1 Dash Scrappy’s Firewater Bitters or 1 Jalapeño Slice
½ Thick Rim Equal Parts Salt/Sugar/Tajin
Optional: 2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters
Garnish: Small Whole Jalapeño (Cut Lengthwise and Char if Desired)
Method: Wet 1/2 rim of glass with lime wheel or wedge and dip into salt mixture.
Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker. If using fresh jalapeño, muddle and fine strain. Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into a small rimmed rocks glass. Add fresh ice and garnish.
DONA KATRINA
Recipe from Kilinga Blanco
1 ½ oz Kilinga Blanco (an award-winning Bacanora made from sustainably-harvested agave in Sonora)
1 slice of Pineapple
1 oz Spicy Infusion**
2 oz Beet Juice
Method: Add ice to shaker and shake vigorously. Pour the mixture into a talavera glass (or small alternative) frosted with chilli powder and ice. Decorate with a slice of pineapple.
**Spicy infusion:
1 oz Chile de Árbol
1 oz Chile Morita
1 liter Water
To Prepare: Add chiles to a liter of water and leave on low heat until it boils Once the mixture is boiling, turn off the heat and let stand until cool. Once cold, pour the content into a glass container and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
CAFE AGAVE OLD FASHIONED
Recipe from Cantera Negra
1.5 parts Cantera Negra Reposado Tequila
0.5 part Cantera Negra Café
2 dashes Chocolate bitters
Orange peel to garnish
Method: Add ingredients into a mixing glass and stir with ice until chilled and diluted. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with an orange peel.
GRAPEFRUIT HIBISCUS MARGARITA
Recipe from Filthy & 21 Seeds
1.5 oz 21 Seeds Grapefruit Hibiscus Tequila
3 oz. Filthy Margarita Mix
Method: Add ingredients to a glass. Serve over ice. Garnish with an orange & lime wheel.
PALOMA ROSA
Recipe from Don Julio Tequila
1.5 oz Tequila Don Julio Reposado
0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
Method: Combine tequila, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a Collins glass over ice. Top cocktail off with grapefruit juice and soda water if desired. Garnish with grapefruit peel or lime wedge.
MEZCAL UNION TOMATO SOUR
Recipe from Mezcal Union
1.5 oz Mezcal Unión Uno
.75 oz lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
6-8 cherry tomatoes
Method: Muddle cherry tomatoes at the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add remaining ingredients and ice into shaker. Shake well and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with freshly cracked pepper, a basil leaf, and a cherry tomato
MANGO MARGARITA
Recipe from Chinola
1 oz Chinola Mango Liqueur
2 oz Tequila or Mezcal
1 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Agave
2 Dashes of Spicy Bitters
Garnish: Lime wheel
Method: Rim glass with salt (optional). Shake ingredients with ice. Strain over fresh ice. Garnish with lime wheel.
CASAMIGOS MARGARITA LIGHT
Recipe from Casamigos Tequila
1.5 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila
.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz. Agave Nectar
2 Dashes Orange Bitters
Garnish: Half-Moon Orange Slice
Method: Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker. Add ice, shake Add ice, shake vigorously and fine strain into a small rocks glass. Add fresh ice and garnish.
SPARKLING CRISTALINO
Recipe from Milagro Tequila
1 Part Milagro Cristalino Añejo
5 Parts Champagne
1/4 Part Cointreau
Grapefruit Peel Garnish
Method: Pour all liquid ingredients into a champagne flute to combine. Garnish with grapefruit peel.
