A newsletter for the industry pro (or aspiring pro).

Our Favorite Tequila Recipes by Style

From a savory-sour ode to summer to an agave-driven twist on the Old-Fashioned, our best tequila recipes run the gamut from strong and stirred to light and refreshing. Here, a selection of our favorites, organized by style.

Best Tequila Cocktail Recipes

Though it’s best known for lending a spiritous backbone to the classic Margarita, tequila is an especially versatile base spirit that can be used in a number of drinks, from cobbler riffs to savory highballs. Here, a collection of our best tequila-based recipes, including an agave-driven twist on the Old-Fashioned, a dead-simple mix of cucumber, lime and chile and more.

Make It Classic

Margarita
Mexico’s tequila daisy.

Tommy’s Margarita
Julio Bermejo’s agave-sweetened take on the classic.

Mexican Firing Squad
A grenadine-fueled play on the original.

Beachfire Margarita
Made smoky, with mezcal.

El Vato Swizzle
A watermelon Margarita by way of Miami.

Blood Orange Margarita
The summer favorite in a winter coat.

Queen of the Underworld
Pomegranate shrub, meet tequila.

Jalapeño-Avocado Margarita
The ultimate guac-Margarita hybrid.

Carrot Margarita
Intox and detox.

Make It a Highball

Paloma
A sweet-tart Collins with grapefruit and soda.

Garden Paloma
Spike it with jalapeño.

Winter Paloma
A sage-laden fireside companion.

Gage Hotel Ranch Water
The Margarita in highball form—with a Topo Chico topper.

Absinthe Minded
Built on lime, honey, Herbsaint and chai.

El Diablo Peppino
A ginger beer-topped refresher.

Dove Dispatch
Savory, strong and powered by Campari.

Make It Spicy

The Pastry War’s ‘Spicy with Tequila’
A habanero Margarita spiked with Chartreuse.

Mexican Razor Blade
Easy, refreshing and batchable.

Ancho Problem
Ancho Reyes, tequila and lime.

Sonambula
Ivy Mix’s nuanced Mexican cooler.

The Tijuana Rocket
A spicy Margarita sweetened with pomegranate.

Matthew Belanger’s Margaladaoma
The Margarita-Michelada-Paloma mash-up of your dreams.

Make It Easy and Stirred

Oaxaca Old Fashioned
An agave-driven twist on the whiskey-based classic.

Cloud 9
The White Negroni by way of Mexico.

Latin Trifecta
An easy mix of tequila, Cynar and sherry.

Adelita
Complex, floral and bittersweet.

Midnight Bouquet
An agave nightcap sweetened with Averna and St-Germain.

Make It Refreshing and Summer-Ready

Bobby Heugel’s Tequila Sunrise
A border classic that swaps out OJ for cassis.

The Mexican Gentleman
A berry-topped tequila cobbler.

Bruja Smash
An herbaceous take on the smash.

Summer of George
Jeremy Oertel’s tequila-driven twist on the Mai Tai.

The Greenbelt
An herbal, génépy-inflected sour.

ABV’s Piña Verde
Bitter and refreshing, with a pineapple back.

Make It a Wildcard

Unlikely Negroni
Naren Young’s “everything but the kitchen sink”-inspired riff.

Why Not
A chile-infused slushie from T.J. Lynch.

The Brave
An aromatic oddball from Anvil Bar & Refuge.

Word to Your Cardamom
Barolo Chinato and a hefty dose of wordplay.

Smoochin’ Under the Clocktower
A savory, smoky, cumin-scented punch.

Charente-16
Waiting for Pineau.

Canelli Sour
Fluffy and bittersweet.

Libra
Morgan Schick‘s savory-sour ode to late summer.

Related Articles