Once reserved solely for hangover-inducing shooters, tequila has had a seismic glow-up in recent years, re-emerging as one of the in-demand (not to mention collected) spirits in the world. Nowadays, anyone who’s anyone is releasing their own label and the ever-reliable marg has regained its status as the queen of cocktails. With July 24 marking National Tequila Day, we have rounded up our favorite tequila cocktails for you to try at home.
For those not yet clued up on the spirit of the moment, tequila is produced using the juice of the agave plant which thrives in warmer, subtropical climates. Similar to champagne and certain whiskies, tequila production is limited to a designated area – primarily the Jalisco region of Mexico, although a few other regions do produce in smaller quantities.
While the marg and all its variations (spicy, coconut, watermelon – the list goes on) is easily tequila’s most-ordered cocktail, the liquid is impressively versatile and can be used to substitute vodka, gin and even rum in your favorite classics. For example, switching gin out for mezcal in a negroni gives an intriguing smoky twist, while using tequila in place of vodka or gin for a martini is another growing request.
Our list of the best cocktails to try on National Tequila Day features some unique twists on the classic margarita, as well as a few alternative pours from our favorite brands, hotels and bars from around the world. Salud!
[See also: The Best Sipping Tequila Brands in the World]
The Honeyed Night by Clase Azul
Famed for its ornate larger-than-life decanters and ultra-premium handcrafted spirits, Clase Azul takes its place as one of the world’s most exclusive tequila brands. Part of its core range, Clase Azul Respado is aged for eight months in ex-American whiskey casks and emerges golden in color with a zesty, citrus-heavy flavor. Such is the quality of Clase Azul, each of its tequilas are plenty smooth enough to sip neat but the brand also puts heavy emphasis on its mixology program, with plenty of signature cocktails to whip up at home. Our current favorite is the Honeyed Night – a summery mix of tequila, lime, honey and blackberries.
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Ingredients:
- 2oz Clase Azul Respado
- 3/4oz fresh lime juice
- 3/4oz honey syrup
- 3 blackberries
Method:
Muddle the blackberries in a cocktail tine and add the tequila, lime juice and honey syrup with ice. Shake thoroughly and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a blackberry on a cocktail stick.
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The Bell Pepper by Gleneagles American Bar
Created by head of bars at Gleneagles, Michele Mariotti, the Bell Pepper cocktail (pictured above) is a twist on the classic spicy marg, using roasted pepper stalks, Casamigos Tequila and marmalade. The result is sweet and tangy, with just a little bit of smoky spice thanks to its paprika rim. Want to up the heat? Throw in a couple of jalapenos before shaking. Prefer a smokier margarita? Mariotti recommends switching out the tequila for mezcal: “This will amplify some of the richer notes you get from roasting the stalks.”
Ingredients:
- 2 spoons of marmalade
- 25ml of lime juice
- 25ml of Cocci Rosa
- 50ml bell pepper-infused tequila
- salt and paprika
Method:
To make the Bell Pepper infused tequila: Separate the stem and pith from the bell pepper. Use the flesh for making your favorite dish and keep the stem and pith (including seeds) for the tequila. Roast the stem and pith in the oven at 160 degrees for 30 minutes and let them cool. Pour one bottle of tequila over the roasted pepper and leave in the fridge to infuse overnight. Strain the ready-made liquid into a bottle. One bottle will give you 14 drinks.
Place all ingredients except the salt and paprika in a shaker and fill with ice before shaking vigorously. Strain into a martini glass rimmed with salt and paprika powder.
The Millionaire Margarita by Komos Tequila
Sometimes, a standard margarita just won’t cut it. On occasions where you need to impress, look no further than the Millionaire Margarita. Made using Komos’s premium Extra Añejo tequila, which is aged for a minimum of three years in both French oak white wine barrels and American bourbon barrels for a complex spirit, the recipe is thankfully very straightforward. The real impressive element comes courtesy of the butterfly syrup, with its wicked color-change effect.
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz Tequila Komos Extra Añejo
- ¾oz Grand Marnier 100
- 1 oz lime juice
- ¾ butterfly pea syrup
- 1 edible flower
Method:
Add all ingredients to shaker tin except syrup with good ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a double rocks glass over fresh ice and pour syrup over top for color-change effect. Garnish with an edible flower.
El Cielo Martini by Patrón
Usually, when shaking (or stirring) up a martini, you’re only considering two base spirits. Gin, as the purists will say is the component of the original martini, or vodka. This recipe from Patrón uses the tequila brand’s newest release, El Cielo, bringing a new dimension to the old classic. El Cielo is the first four-times distilled luxury tequila. Following 150 tasting sessions, curious experiments and countless hours of research, the resulting liquid delivers the natural sweet flavors of the agave with bright citrus notes. The tequila is the newest member of the Patrón Silver collection, which is unaged, offering a crisp and smooth flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. (60ml) Patrón El Cielo
- .5 oz (15ml) Martini Ambrato Vermouth
- .5 oz (15ml) Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth
- 3 dashes orange bitters
Method:
Add all to a mixing glass, and stir with cubed ice. Pour neat into a chilled Nick and Nora or a martini glass, garnish with an orange twist.
Red Hot Chili Pepper by Hilton Stucky Molino
Tequila and a kick of chili heat is a match made in heaven; add a touch of citrus and you’re delivering a serious punch. The Red Hot Chili Pepper is certainly not for the faint-hearted and offers a fiery twist on a classic recipe. Although we’d all like to be sipping cocktails on National Tequila Day while absorbing the views from Hilton Stucky Molino’s rooftop bar (which is the highest in all of Venice), the hotel has shared the recipe to recreate at home for those who can’t be there in person.
Ingredients:
- Tequila Reposado 45 ml
- Pineapple juice 45 ml
- Fresh Lime Juice 25 ml
- Agave nectar 15 ml
- 1 small Red Chilli Pepper
Method:
Cover the rim of a coupe glass with mixed salt and spicy chili. Shake all ingredients together and double strain into the glass.
El Durazno Guero by La Calenda
While The French Laundry and Per Se might be Thomas Keller’s most famous restaurants, the chef’s Mexican-inspired outpost is equally as inviting. Under the helm of chef de cuisine Kaelin Ulrich Trilling, La Calenda offers a fresh menu of classic Mexican dishes such as tacos, quesadillas and totopos in a more informal, snacky format than Keller’s flagship restaurants. As any good Mexican restaurant should, La Calenda has a hefty tequila and mezcal menu, as well as some serious cocktails. The El Durazno recipe comes from the restaurant’s general manager Eric Jefferson, who elevates sweet agave with a touch of thyme.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Casa Dragones Blanco
- 2 oz white peach puree
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- ¼ oz thyme-infused agave syrup
- 1 spring of fresh thyme, for garnish
- 2 cups agave syrup
- 10 springs of fresh thyme
Method:
Thyme syrup: Add the sprigs of fresh thyme to the agave syrup and refrigerate overnight. Strain before using.
To make the cocktail, mix all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.
[See also: Moving Up in the World: Luxury Tequilas Fit for the Top Shelf]
Watermelon Mint Margarita by Código 1530
Utilizing a secret family recipe that supposedly dates back to 1530 (hence the name), Código 1530 is dedicated to creating an all-natural tequila that allows the subtle sweetness of agave to shine through without the use of any additives or flavoring. For the Watermelon Mint Margarita, which was all but designed for a hot summer’s day, Código calls on its Rosa Tequila, which starts its life as bianco but is left to rest in Napa Valley red wine barrels to give its subtle pink hue.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Código 1530 Rosa Tequila
- 3 oz pressed watermelon juice
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¼ oz agave nectar
Method:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add in the watermelon juice, tequila, lime juice and agave nectar. Shake for 30 seconds before pouring into a glass and garnishing with watermelon slices.
Fig Leaf by Mace, New York
Having been featured in the World’s 50 Best Bars list three times, Mace has become a staple on the New York cocktail scene. Each of the bar’s cocktails offer some seriously intriguing flavor combinations, such as chaga mushrooms and medjool dates, or caramelized onion and sweet vermouth. For National Tequila Day, the bar has shared the recipe for one of its most unusual cocktails: the Fig Leaf combines mezcal and tequila with beetroot and tomato. One for the more adventurous palette, we think.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Fig Leaf infused Mezcal
- 1 oz tequila
- 1 oz golden beet & tomato cordial
Method:
Add all ingredients to mixing glass. Add ice and stir for about 30 seconds. Strain into a Nic and Nora glass and garnish with a golden beet slice.
Tommy’s Basil Margarita by Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo
With ocean views, glitzy interiors courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld himself and a roster of A-list clientele, Hotel Metropole is top of the list of places to stay in Monte-Carlo. As standard in such a prestigious property, Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo’s cocktail menu is second to none, with a signature menu that can be enjoyed in its multiple restaurants and bars. This National Tequila Day, try out the hotel’s Tommy’s Basil Margarita which offers an aromatic twist on the classic.
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz Tequila Milagro
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ⅓ oz Cointreau
- ⅓ oz agave honey
- 2 basil leaves
- ⅓ oz egg white
Method:
Add Tequila Milagro, lime juice, Cointreau, agave honey, basil leaves and egg white into a shaker and dry shake until a foam is created. Add ice and shake again strain into a martini glass and decorate with basil leaves or lime zest and salt if desired.
Velas Margarita by Velas Resorts
Naturally where we’d really like to be celebrating National Tequila Day is at one of Velas’ ultra-luxe Mexico resorts, poolside with a cocktail in hand – it is the country’s national drink, after all. However, recreating the delicious Velas Margarita at home is a fair consolation prize. Teaming vibrant Grand Marnier and passionfruit pulp with rich coconut cream, this tequila cocktail recipe is decidedly tropical and will make for the perfect July sundowner.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ oz Espolòn Silver Tequila
- 1 oz Grand Marnier
- 1 oz passionfruit pulp
- ¾ oz coconut cream
- 1 oz lime juice
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice then shake. Serve margarita in an old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel and grated coconut then serve.
Hacienda de Lavender Margarita
The award-winning Herradura Reposado – which lays claim to being the first-ever commercially available reposado – is aged for 11 months in oak barrels to achieve its bold flavor profile and its caramel hue. To cut through the boldness of this complex tequila, mixologist Jarrett Holborough adds a touch of lavender for a fresh and refreshing margarita recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Herradura Reposado
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz lavender syrup
- ¼ oz orange juice
- pinch of salt
Method:
Add all ingredients into a shaker. Add ice, shake, and strain over ice into a rocks glass. To finish, garnish with two pieces of lavender.
