If your experience of savoring the tequila is limited to drinking shots concocted with lemon zests and salt, then you’d surely be eager to try some heady cocktails prepared using this humble Mexican beverage. Distilled from the blue agave plant native to Guadalajara region in Mexico, tequila has an acerbic flavor and majority of drinkers have reported feeling awful when they took a shot for the first time. The very fact that drinkers invariably add a pinch of salt and a slice of lemon is ample proof of its gut-wrenching tang.
However, the agave essence, sweet and earthy by nature, which remains masked when you sip the beverage neat, is brought to the fore, the moment it is cocktailed. Margarita continues to rule the roost as the most popular tequila cocktail but there are a host of other heady cocktails you can try to enhance your experience. Following are some mixers or cocktails of tequila that should be on your must-try list.
Tequila Manhattan
Drink type:-cocktail; prep time:-5 minutes; serving:-1 drink
Ingredients
- Rye whiskey or bourbon, 2oz
- Sweet vermouth, 1 oz
- Angostura bitters, 2-3 generous dashes
- Crushed ice,
- Mixing glass
- Julep strainer
- Barspoon with twisted stem
- Cocktail glass
- Cherry or lemon
Preparation instructions
- Before you can get start, transfer the cocktail glass in the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes
- Pour the whiskey (or bourbon) and the vermouth into the mixing glass
- Next, add the Angostura dashes
- Transfer the crushed ice and stir gently till the concoction appears homogenous and crystal clear (avoid shaking the contents as that’ll will make the cocktail cloudy and the top will look foamy)
- Position the Julep strainer into the mixing glass for using it as a sieve or strainer
- Now, transfer the content to the chilled cocktail glass containing the whiskey
- Finally add the lemon or cherry (whichever you prefer) for flavoring
Tequila Sunrise Margarita
Drink type:-cocktail; prep time:-3 minutes; serving:-1 drink
Ingredients
- Tequila 1-1/2 ounces
- Grenadine ½ ounce
- Triple sec ½ ounce
- Orange juice 1 ounce
- Sour mix ½ ounce
- Crushed ice (1 cup)
- 1 lime wheel (for garnishing)
- Salt for lacing the rim of the glass (garnish)
Preparing the cocktail
- Transfer the grenadine to a highball glass or Collins glass that has been chilled beforehand
- Now, pour the tequila, triple sec, orange juice, sour mix, and crushed ice into a cocktail blender
- Mix the contents till they become finely powdered
- Next, dispense the blended contents into the highball glass and whisk gently with a bar spoon
- Rim the edge of the glass with the salt and wedge the lime wheel on one end
Juan Collins
Drink type:-cocktail; prep time:-3 minutes; serving:-1 drink
Ingredients
- Tequila 1-1/2 ounces
- Agave nectar-1/2 ounce
- Lemon juice-1 ounce
- Club soda-2 ounce (just sufficient for top-up)
- Lemon wheel or slice for garnishing
Preparing the cocktail
- Refrigerate a highball glass for about half an hour for chilling it
- Transfer the tequila, agave nectar, and lemon juice into the glass
- You can add crushed ice for making the content extra chilled
- Keep on stirring the contents till they blend perfectly
- Wedge the lemon slice or peel atop the glass rim for flavoring
Abide by the following tips for concocting a heady Juan Collins mixer
- The type of tequila you select makes a huge difference to the drink’s quality on the whole as Juan Collins does not usually have strong flavors for suppressing the tequila’s caustic aftertaste
- It is worthwhile to opt for Blanco or a vintage reposado aged in an oak cask for about a year
- Agave Nectar works best with tequila as both are agave based
- Lemon juice is regarded as an indispensable ingredient of Juan Collins. You can also use a wedge of lemon or lime juice as a replacement. You can add a little more of the sap later on while sipping, if you feel like it
Paloma
Drink type: cocktail; prep time-3 minutes; serving-1 drink
Ingredients
- Tequila, 2 ounces
- Grapefruit soda, 7 ounces
- Lime juice, ½ ounce
- Salt for rimming the cocktail glass (optional)
Preparing the cocktail
- You can either chill a highball or Collins glass in advance or add 5-6 crushed ice cubes (just enough to fill the glass just below the rim)
- Rim the edge of the glass with salt
- Pour the tequila and the lime juice
- Now add the grapefruit soda as a top-up
Follow these tips for making your Paloma more soothing
- Go for a silver tequila (or Blanco)
- Grapefruit is an absolute must for concocting any type of Paloma drink. Grapefruit soda has been used traditionally. Choose the best grapefruit soda brand you come across- Squirt and the Jarritos are the most popular out there; you could go for anyone.
Tequini
Drink type:-cocktail; prep time-3 minutes; serving:-1 drink
Ingredients
- Tequila, 2-1/2 ounces
- Dry vermouth, ½ ounce
- Angostura bitters, 3-4 dashes or squirts (for the garnish)
- Lemon twist or olive (for garnishing)
Preparing the cocktail
- Keep a chilled cocktail glass ready (you can also add crushed ice)
- Transfer the tequila, Angostura bitters, and dry vermouth to a cocktail shaker prefilled with ice
- Shake the contents thoroughly
- Use a Julep strainer for filtering and transferring the same to the cocktail glass
- For garnishing, add the lemon twist or olive
Passion Cocktail
Drink type:-cocktail; prep time:-3 minutes; serving-2 drinks
Ingredients
- Tequila, 2 ounces
- Cranberry juice, 3 ounces
- Lime juice, 1 ounce
- Orange liqueur, 2 ounces
- Lemon slice or wedge for garnishing
Preparing the cocktail
- Keep a chilled martini glass or stemmed glass ready
- Fill a cocktail shaker with cubes of ice
- Transfer the tequila, lime juice, and the cranberry juice into the shaker and shake well
- Decant the content into the martini glass
- Squirt the orange liqueur
- Add the lime slice for flavoring