Tequila Drinks & Cocktails
When you think of tequila drinks you may think of margaritas, which is probably the most common cocktail made with tequila.
I love a good Margarita too, but there are also many other options for using tequila.
You can use tequila in a Bloody Mary, Manhattan, or Old Fashioned. You could also make a variation on Sangria by using a little tequila with the red wine instead of brandy.
There is even a type of wine made in Mexico called Agave Wine, which is very similar to tequila, and made from the same plant (the agave).
International Tequila Day is July 24th, so in celebration here are a few other ideas for tequila drinks.
Agave Wine
While not exactly tequila, agave wine is also made in Mexico from the same plant as tequila, and is a very similar drink. So, since this is a wine website...
Both tequila and agave wine are made from the weber blue agave plant, native to Mexico. Like other wines, agave wine has a much lower alcohol content than tequila. Agave wine does not go through the same distillation process as tequila, which is how you end up with a wine rather than a spirit.
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Mexican Sangria
You can make a Mexican Sangria using tequila in much the same way as you would use brandy in a traditional sangria recipe.
For a refreshing change, mix tequila, white wine, citrus fruit and lemon-lime soda. Here's a Tequila Sangria recipe from Bobby Flay on the Food Network.
You could also make a more traditional red wine sangria using tequila and lots of spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cloves.
Ce Acatl
This tough-to-pronounce cocktail mixes tequila with sherry:
- two shots of tequila,
- half a shot of Manzanilla Sherry,
- two squeezes of lime
- one squeeze of orange
The salt-and-citrus notes in Manzanilla sherry pair very well with tequila. The drink is named after an Aztec ruler.
Other Tequila Drinks
Tequila Sunrise
A tequila sunrise is just orange juice with a shot of tequila and a teaspoon of grenadine.
Tequila Manhattan
Make a tequila Manhattan by mixing two ounces of your favorite tequila, one ounce of sweet vermouth, and a couple of dashes of bitters.
Tequila Mint Julep
This last option is just a classic mint julep, substituting tequila for the bourbon and adding a healthy splash of ginger.
Just squash a few fresh mint leaves and a nub of fresh ginger in the glass, and mix with a shot of tequila, and a tablespoon each of lemon juice and agave syrup. Enjoy over ice!
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