Today is Cinco de Mayo and folks across the United States and the world are celebrating with drinks, snacks, and all things in between. To assist with any Cinco de Mayo plans today and through the weekend, we’ve got a handy list of cocktails and other drinks to work from.
Cinco de Mayo means something entirely different here in the States than it does in Mexico, and we felt it proper to explain a bit of the history behind the holiday.
Annually, Mexico celebrates the country’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The Mexican forces were led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, and after Zaragoza’s passing from an illness, French forces were able to occupy Mexico City. However, support from the American military at the conclusion of the U.S. Civil War eventually led to France withdrawing from the region.
Cinco de Mayo is more of a celebration of Mexican-American culture with bars and brands all across the nation doing some manner of drink special or cocktail riff in honor of the holiday. So, enough with the history lesson, let’s get to these drinks!
I Want To Be A Mezcal Margarita (Recipe and Photo: Gustavo Rojas)
1.5 oz Amaras Espadin
.75 Fresh Lime Juice
.50 oz Blackberry/Jalapeno Syrup
3 Blackberries
Method:
Add the berries in a tall glass and muddle and fill the glass with crushed ice. In a shaker add the mezcal, syrup and juice. Shake vigorously and double strain into the tall glass.
Garnish: Lime wheels against the inside of the tall glass, berries and a slice of Jalapeno. Edible flower optional.
Filtered Clear Margarita
Ingredients:
1 1/2 part Avion Reserva Cristalino
1 part Filtered Lime Juice
1 part Simple Syrup
How-To:
Shake and strain over coupette glass. Garnish with a lime twist. Use gourmet ice.
Cuervo Peach Margarita
INGREDIENTS:
2 oz. Jose Cuervo® Tradicional® Plata
2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. peach nectar
Ice
Lime for garnish
Peach for garnish
Salt for rim
PREPARATION
In a shaker, add ice, Jose Cuervo® Tradicional® Plata, fresh lime juice and peach nectar to taste. Run lime wedge around the rim of glass then dip the glass into salt. Garnish the glass with a lime wedge and enjoy! Serves 2.
Kahlúa Coffee Margarita (This is a solid cocktail!)
Ingredients:
1 Part Kahlúa
1 Part Tequila
0.5 Part Cold Brew
0.5 Part Lime Juice
1 Wheel Lime
How to mix:
Fill a shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients. Shake until cold. Strain into an ice filled glass with a salt rim*. Garnish with a lime wheel.
*rub a lime wedge around 3/4 of the glass rim, pour some sea salt on a saucer, then dip the glass on the saucer so the crystals stick to the rim.
Contraluz Royalty Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal
1 oz Lime cordial
1/2 oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
1/2 oz Agave
1/4 Orange Liqueur
Optional:
Salis salt blend made of citrus peels and Amazonian chilies
Preparation:
Add in ice and all ingredients in a mixing glass, stir for 10 seconds, and serve in a rocks glass with fresh ice and salt. Garnish with dehydrated lime.
Ilegal El Poblano
2 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
2 slices Poblano peppers
1 oz lime juice
0.5 oz agave nectar
Chipotle salt:
3 tsp chipotle en adobo purée
1 cup kosher salt
Mix ingredients together and let dry.
Method: Add ingredients to shaker and shake. Strain into stemmed glass with chipotle salt rim. Garnish with a Poblano slice.
Cupreata Mezcalita
By Gustavo Rojas @yourbartendergustavo
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Mezcal Amaras Cupreata
1 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. agave nectar
Tajin for garnish
Cucumber ribbons for garnish
Method:
In a mixing glass filled with ice, shake the Mezcal, lime juice, triple sec and agave nectar.
Coat the rim of your glass with tajin (use lemon or lime juice so that the tajin adheres)
Garnish:
Strain the cocktail into the glass and garnish with cucumber ribbons, or spears if preferred
Cutwater Spirits Durango Sunrise
1.5oz Cutwater Mezcal
.5oz ancho chili liqueur
1.5oz fresh orange juice
.75oz lemon
.5oz simple
Method: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Serve in a Collins glass with a tajín rim, orange slice garnish
Los Angeles
1 cup tomato sauce (can sub Clamato for less ingredients but not recommended)
2 cups Clamato Classico
.75oz horseradish
2oz fresh lime juice
2oz orange juice
.5oz Jugo Maggi
.5oz Cholula or Tapatio hot sauce
Celery salt, smoked paprika and pepper to taste
Lime wedge or wheel, chili powder and dried chili peppers for garnish
Rim glass with tajin. Pour 2oz of Cantera Negra Silver over ice in a Collins glass and top with mix (usually 3-4oz) and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel dipped in chili powder and two dried chili peppers.
Sunrise In Oaxaca
2oz. Dos Hombres Espadín Mezcal
2Tbsp. Grenadine
4oz. Fresh Orange Juice
Directions: Add Dos Hombres and orange juice with ice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into Collins glass. Slowly pour in grenadine. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Enjoy the sunrise!
Kahlúa Brave Bull
Ingredients:
1 Part Kahlúa
1 Part Tequila
How to mix:
Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the Kahlúa coffee liqueur and tequila, then mix.
Filthy Margarita (We love Filthy!)
1 1/2 oz Tequila (of your choice)
Method: Mix Filthy Margarita Mix and Tequila in a drink shaker. Rim your preferred glass with salt or sugar and serve over ice. Enjoy!
Paloma Picante
INGREDIENTS
2 oz Jose Cuervo® Tradicional® Tequila Plata
6 oz Grapefruit soda
Squeeze of lime
Chili salt for the rim & garnish with a grapefruit wedge
PREPARATION
Run a grapefruit wedge around the rim of a highball glass and dip it into chili salt. Place ice in the highball glass and add the ingredients. Stir and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Batch & Bottle Milagro Margarita
Already mixed and ready to go, these prepared cocktails are one of our favorites, and they also have a handy gift set from Sourced Craft Cocktails that comes with a grapefruit salt that will take your cocktail to the next level. Learn more here.
Mezcal Campante Picante
Ingredients
2 oz Mezcal Campante
1 Slice Green Jalapeno
1oz Agave Syrup
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
Soda
Instructions
Muddle the Jalapeno (deseeded & chopped) and agave syrup in a shaker. Add the Campante, lime juice and shake. Fine strain into ice filled rocks glass. Top up with soda. Garnish with Jalapeno slices.
St. George Green Chile Margarita
2 oz St. George Green Chile Vodka
1oz Lime
1/2oz Cointreau
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice, then strain into a glass filled with ice
Flecha Spicy Margarita
2 oz Flecha Azul Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz triple sec
3 jalapeno slices
Tajin rim
Method: Muddle jalapeno slices in a cocktail shaker, add ice and all remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Enjoy!
Nocheluna Sotolita
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Nocheluna Sotol
1.0 oz Triple Sec
1.0 oz Lime Juice
1.5 oz Apple Juice
Garnish:
Chiltepin Salt
Apple Slices
Method:
Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake with ice. Strain and serve into a rocks glass with chiltepin salt rim.
The Original Margarita
Ingredients:
1 oz Cointreau
2 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add ice
Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass
Garnish with a lime wheel
Mezcal UNIÓN Margarita (I actually just made one and it is AMAZING!)
1.5 oz Mezcal UNIÓN Uno
0.75 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Orange Liqueur
0.25 oz Agave Syrup
Instructions:
In an old-fashioned glass filled with ice, add Mezcal UNIÓN Uno, lime juice, orange liqueur and agave syrup. Garnish with an orange, lime slice, or worm salt on the rim.
Spicy Mexican Candy Shot
Recipe:
1 oz Ghost Tequila
.50 oz Watermelon Pucker
.25 oz Santa Cruz Lime Juice
Garnish with Tajín 1/2 Rim
Method: Add Ghost Tequila, Watermelon Pucker and Santa Cruz lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into ½ Tajín rim shot glass.
The Spicy Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz Cointreau
0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 slices of Jalapeño
2 sprigs of Fresh Cilantro
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker
Add ice and shake until well-chilled
Strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass
Garnish with jalapeño pepper
Garnish with a lime wheel
Mr. Pink (Found at New York’s Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge)
1.5oz Dos Hombres Mezcal
1oz Pama Liqueur
.5oz Agave
.5oz Lime Juice
Directions: Add all of the ingredients to your favorite cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake until perfection. Then, strain + pour into your margarita cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel
Oaxacan Hemmingway
2oz Gracias a Dios Mezcal Espadin Joven
1oz grapefruit juice
.25oz maraschino liqueur
.25oz simple syrup
2 slices fresh jalapeno
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake to combine and chill. Double strain into highball glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a grapefruit slice
Spicy Paloma
Recipe:
2 oz Ghost Tequila
2 oz Grapefruit Juice
.50 oz Agave Syrup
Splash of Club Soda
Garnish with Citrus Sugar, Lime Wedge
Method: Add Ghost Tequila, grapefruit juice and agave syrup to shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into ice-filled, citrus sugar rim glass. Top with soda. Garnish with lime wedge.
Cierto Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Cierto Tequila Private Collection Blanco
1 oz Citrus Stock
1 oz Lime Juice
1/3 oz Citrus Agave Tincture
3 drops Saline
Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with lime slices.
Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients:
2 parts Avion Silver
2 parts Fresh Lime Juice
2 Parts Crushed Watermelon Slices
1 part Agave Nectar
How-To:
Shake all ingredients, serve into rocks glass
Pineapple Playa
1.25 oz Bribón Blanco Tequila
.5oz Bauchant Orange Liqueur
2oz fresh pineapple puree
.5oz lime juice
1tsp mango puree real
1oz soda water
Directions: Combine all ingredients, barring soda water in a shaker with ice. Shake to combine. Pour entire shaker contents into highball or rocks glass, top with soda water and ice. Garnish with slice of pineapple.
Mocktail Options & More
Muddle & Mint
A mocktail option or mixer, Muddle & Mint has all bases covered. Learn more here.
Hazy ’96
One of the most crushable IPAs ever. Get it here.
Odd Water
For those who miss the hops and don’t want the booze. A cold can on a hot day is a winner. Get it here.
Fresh Victor Mexican Lime & Agave Mix
Mix up an amazing cocktail with this fresh juice mixer, or make it a mocktail. Instructions are on the bottle, which can be purchased here. We can vouch for this being worth the buy.
Austin Cocktails
Ready to drink out the can or in your vessel of choice, Austin Cocktail’s Bergamot Orange Margarita packs a lot of power in its slim, sleek package.
Learn more here.
Now that you made it to the bottom of this scroll monster, HAPPY CINCO de MAYO!
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Photo: Getty
