Want to kick off your National Margarita Day celebration with a bang? Around the world, people are celebrating this cocktail holiday with fun and festive drinks that are tasty, hot, and perfect for pairing with food!
If you’re still debating whether or not to to ‘mingle with the devil’, relax, let your hair down, and enjoy yourself because tequila has been linked to weight loss, so seriously no excuses – we’ve got you covered. We’ve also got moonshine, rum, and flavors like coconut, thai basil, and mango-something for everyone!
Top cocktail trends for tequila holidays? Pineapple, fresh herbs, fun, ironic ways to serve them (pineapple shells!), and anything with heat and spice! So, put your mixology skills to the test, bring out tacos, guacamole, and queso fundido, and try some of these delicious Mexicana inspired cocktails from the best bars around the globe!
Inspired by the greatest fighter in Mexican history, Julio Cesar Chavez, The Lion of Culiacan, is the ultimate Cinco De Mayo Drink. Specially crafted by in-house mixologist Spencer Elliott, this cocktail blends Mexican Agave with more Mexican Agave and in-house made perfectly spiced jalapeno syrup to add a little punch to the cocktail! Pair with Bounce’s Short Rib Tacos (beer braised, pico de gallo, pickled onions), Chicken Tinga (poblano peppers, pico de gallo, cheddar, corn tortilla) and Mini Taco Tuesday Bites (Pat LaFrieda beef, cheddar, sour cream, pickled onions) for an inspired meal.
The Lion of Culiacan
Spencer Elliott, Bounce Sporting Club, New York
- 1 ½ oz el jimador
- 2 oz ruby red grapefruit juice
- ¾ oz jalapeño infused simple
- ½ oz mezcal
Shake and strain. Pour over fresh ice and top with mezcal.
Fijian Cojito – served at Castaway Island, Fiji Resort
Makes 6+ tall glasses
- 1 bunch fresh mint, keep a few sprigs to the side for garnish
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup fresh cucumber, grated skin on, seeds in
- 4 limes, peeled and juiced (keep peels)
- 2 cups Malibu Coconut Rum
- 33oz (1 liter) coconut water
- 2 cups ice cubes
- Lime wedges for garnish
- jug and cocktail muddling stick
In a mixing jug, combine the mint, sugar, cucumber, lime peels, few ice cubes and coconut water, and muddle to dissolve sugar and release oils from peel and mint.
Add the lime juice and coconut rum, and stir or shake vigorously to combine. Fill tall glasses with ice and pour over cojito mix and remaining coconut water. Add sprigs of fresh mint for garnish.
Try these chocolate margarita recipes, for an extra sweet treat!
Just like tutu (grandma) used to make, Hawaiian Moonshine is a modern version of okolehao – an ancient Hawaiian alcoholic spirit whose main ingredient was the root of the ti plant.
Hula Grill’s Tutu’s Moonshine – served at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort
- 1.25oz Hawaiian Moonshine
- .5oz Grand Marnier
- .5oz Manoa Honey
- 2oz pineapple juice
- 1oz passion purée
- 4-5 pineapple chunks
Blend ingredients until smooth. Pour into a cored out pineapple, insert a straw and enjoy.
Peranakan are of Chinese ancestry, who now makes up a significant portion of Phuket’s population. Many are descendants of miners, who integrated their culinary secrets into the local community.
Peranakan Mojito – served at Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort
- 50ml Sangsom Rum (golden cane rum)
- 20ml Fresh lime juice
- 10 leaves Fresh Thai sweet basil
- 15ml Mango Syrup
- Top Ginger ale
Build over crushed ice in a highball glass. Pour and stir all ingredients together. Use a bouquet of Thai sweet basil as a garnish.
A sublime combination of fresh passion fruit, passion fruit purée, lime and fresh mint churned through with crushed ice and finished off with Sprite is an ultimate example of Mauritius flavor combinations.
Spiced Passion Fruit Mojito – served at Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort
- 1 fresh lime
- ½ passion fruit
- 4 curry leaves
- 10 mint leaves
- 15gms raw sugar
- 12cL soda water
- 40ml double distillation Chamarel Rum
Cut the lime in 4 pieces. Add raw sugar, curry leaves and mint leaves; muddle them. Add crushed ice and pour the rum. Top off with soda water.
The Ultimate Margarita
- 2 oz. Silver Tequila
- 1 oz. Grand Marnier
- 1 oz. Fresh lime juice
Shake over ice or blend, garnish with a lime wedge.
- 2 oz. Maestro Dobel Tequila
- 1 part Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/2 part Agave Nectar
Combine ingredients, rim with black Hawaiian sea salt and serve in a rocks glass.
The Golden Margarita
- 2 oz of Maestro Dobel Reposado Tequila
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/2 oz Agave Nectar
- 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
- 4 dashes of Chocolate Bitters
Combine ingredients over ice, shake and serve in coupe. Add Angostura and chocolate bitters.
- 1.5 oz. Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur
- 0.75 oz. Montelobos Mezcal
- 1 oz. Lime juice
- 0.5 oz. Agave nectar
Combine ingredients to shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain over glass. Garnish with lime wedge.
- 2 oz. Coconut Tequila
- 1 oz. Lime juice
- 0.75 oz. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
- 0.5 oz. Simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with spent lime shell.
Reknowned mixologist, Juan Martinez of LA’s Toca Madera, has fashioned a signature margarita cocktail called the “Amante Picante Margarita” featuring locally-sourced serrano pepper and cilantro to add Mexican spice and savory flavors as a nod to LA’s significant Mexican population and influence.
Amante Picante Margarita
By Juan Martinez
- 2 oz. Tequila
- .75 oz. agave
- 1 oz. lime juice
- Serrano pepper
- Cilantro
Muddle two pieces of serrano pepper and clap 5 pieces of cilantro in a tin. Rim a highball with Tajin/Ghost pepper salt, shake all ingredients together and strain into a the highball glass. Garnish with a serrano pepper and sprig of cilantro.
Eddie Fuentes, bartender extraordinaire, hailing from Miami’s own 27 Restaurant & Bar and Broken Shaker, has a signature margarita that he calls “DaHouse Margarita,” using pineapple sage infused agave syrup and a ‘curious’ spray of Mezcal. Because if we can call Miami anything, it’s curious.
DaHouse Margarita
By Eddie Fuentes (27 Restaurant & Bar, Broken Shaker)
- 2 oz. Tequila
- .75 oz. Homestead lime
- .75 oz. pineapple sage infused agave syrup
Shake and serve over ice. Garnish with Half Moon Spicy salt rim, a spray of Mezcal, fresh pineapple, sage and a lime wheel.
Las Flores de Mayo
By New York City’s Brian Matthys (The Gander, Corkbuzz)
- 2 oz. Tequila
- 1 oz. Verjus (grape juice)
- ¼ oz. Velvet Falernum
- 2 dashes cacao bitters
Add all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir well over ice. Strain into a chilled couple and garnish with a thin lime wheel.