Tequila is best known as an ingredient in the margarita, but in fact, it’s an incredibly versatile base for a number of cocktails.
Made from the agave plant in Mexico, tequila cocktails can go many routes: sweet, sour, spicy, smoky, and everything in between. Below we present the best tequila cocktail recipes to try when you’ve got a bottle to burn.
1. Classic Margarita
The classic margarita is a mainstay because it’s simple and delicious.
Here’s how to create a classic one:
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces tequila
- Juice of 1 whole lime
- ½ ounce triple sec or orange liqueur
- Coarse salt for the rim
- Lime wedge garnish
How to make it:
Use a slit in the lime wedge to moisten a highball glass. Then roll the rim of the glass in a dish filled with coarse salt.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add tequila, triple sec, and lime juice to the shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
Finally, pour the cocktail into the glass, straining the ice out and carefully avoiding salt. Attach your lime wedge for garnish.
2. Long Island Iced Tea
You know things have escalated when the Long Island iced tea starts rolling.
Here’s how to make this boozy drink:
Ingredients:
- ½ fl. oz. of vodka
- ½ fl. oz. of rum
- ½ fl. oz. of tequila
- ½ fl. oz. of gin
- ½ fl. oz. of orange-flavored triple sec liqueur
- 1 fl. oz. of sweet and sour mixer
- 1 fl. oz. of cola
- 1 lemon slice or fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
How to make it:
Fill a cocktail shaker to the brim with ice. Ice cubes are the best choice, as you want the ice to chill the drink without too much melting.
Pour in all alcoholic portions. Then pour in your sweet and sour mix, or squeeze a fresh lemon into the shaker. Shake this up to mix everything. Adding in the sweetener and the lemon juice before you shake is critical.
A hurricane or Collins glass is best for this cocktail
Add the cola next. You can add just a splash for color and flavor, or you can dilute the drink a bit more for a more, shall we say, palatable taste if you’re not into strong alcohol. Garnish it with a slice of lemon.
Note: you can always make a Long Island Iced Tea less intense by going heavier on the cola and backing off a bit on the liquors.
3. Bloody MarÃa
While we’ve all heard of the Bloody Mary, you may not be as familiar with the Bloody MarÃa. Fear not — it’s as simple as subbing out the vodka for tequila, which gives the classic drink a Mexican twist.
Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients:
- 2 fl. oz. tequila
- 4 fl. oz. tomato juice
- ¼ fl. oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon horseradish
- 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes of Tabasco Sauce (smokey flavor is fantastic here)
- 2 dashes of celery salt or celery bitters
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon wedge, green olives, or celery stick (for garnish)
How to make it:
Start with the tequila and tomato juice, pouring them into a cocktail shaker. Then add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed above. When they’re all in the shaker, shake gently.
In a cocktail glass, add just a few ice cubes. Strain the mix into this glass and garnish with lemon, celery, or olives.
4. Spicy Margarita
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention at least one variation on the classic tequila cocktail. The spicy margarita hits all the right spots as far as a cocktail is concerned: it’s sweet, fiery, salty, and tart, all in one package. Here’s how to whip one up:
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Blanco tequila
- ½ oz. orange liqueur
- ½ oz. agave syrup
- 1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 1 lime wedge
- 2 jalapeño slices (without seeds)
- Garnish: jalapeño coin and salt rim
How to make it:
To start making your spicy margarita, rub the rim of your glass with a lime wedge, making sure to coat the entire rim in juice. Then dip the rim into a bowl of salt to coat it all the way around.
Use a pestle to gently muddle your non-garnish jalapeño coins in a shaker. Then pour in your Blanco tequila and orange liqueur, as well as the agave syrup and freshly squeezed lime juice. Add ice to fill the shaker and shake it until the liquid is thoroughly chilled.
Strain the mix into the rock glass over a serving of fresh ice. For garnish, add a jalapeño coin to the rim. Serve and enjoy.
What is Tequila you ask! In popular culture, tequila is treated like a chore to be choked down during a wild night out on the town. But tequila is so much more …
