Do you know what the best thing about Tequila is? It’s perfect for sharing.
It’s a rustique, down to earth (literally) spirit full of flavour. Keeping this in mind I’ve gathered (what I feel are) 10 of the best summertime tequila cocktails… I won’t spoil the surprise, but the top spot belongs to my very own creation… (Yeah, Yeah I know it was a fix from the start, but there are still 9 other fantastic cocktails).
10. Santa Maria
Serves 1
45ml Reposado Tequila*
30ml White Port
15ml Velvet Falernum
15ml Simple Syrup
1 lemon – Juiced
Top up Ginger beer
Taking inspiration from the Tequila Highball, this cocktail mixes intricate flavours with sweet and spicy ingredients and tops it off with a great Reposado (or ‘gold’) Tequila.
*Use a good quality reposado, preferably not Jose Cuervo (use a brand like El Jimador or Cazadores – take a look at my blog on some of the better tequilas available – scroll down to after the dessert: https://theferventshaker.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/3-course-cocktails-cinco-de-mayo-especial/)
9. Tequila-Cranberry Cooler
Serves 4
150ml Blanco (silver) Tequila
50ml Campari
250ml cranberry juice
125ml Fresh Orange Juice
60ml Fresh Lime Juice*
Garnish:
60g caster sugar
Lime Wedge
4 x cocktail cherries (with stems)
Garnish: Wipe the lime wedge around the rims of all 4 of the glasses and then dip them in the caster sugar. Drop in a cocktail cherry just before serving.
Cocktail: Mix all the main ingredients together in a jug (over ice) and divide equally among the 4, ice-filled, glasses.
8. Red Ruby Tequila Cocktails
Serves 4
250ml Reposado Tequila
750ml Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
4 tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
Mix the ingredients in a jug, over ice, and divide equally into 4 separate glasses. Garnish with an Orange twirl…
Top Tip: Using Reposado (rested) tequila really add some fantastic flavour (and a nice little kick) to this already great drink. Add a little splash of soda water to make it a little more refreshing…
7. Classic (Perfect) Margarita
Serves 1
Drinks as particular as this require a very well balanced combination of ingredients, and for this reason I have used the term ‘measure(s)’ so as its clear that for every measure of tequila you use the relative amounts of Lime & Cointreau…
1.5 measures Silver (Blanco) Tequila
1 measure Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
0.5 measures Cointreau (try not to use triple sec)
Shake the ingredients over ice, until the tin is well iced. Strain the mixture into a salt rimmed, margarita glass (or small rocks glass for a slightly different look).
Top Tip: Only salt rim half the glass in salt. This way the consumer of the drink can decide on how much salt they want.
Flavoured recipes: There are literally hundreds of flavoured margarita recipes out there and I’ll be honest, most of them are awful…
Some, however, are surprisingly refreshing; like the Chilli & Cucumber Margarita.
The best thing about this recipe is that all you’re actually doing is adding some a cucumber & Chilli mix into a classic Margarita recipe (like the one above).
Here’s how you prepare one, for yourself (or friends):
1) Chop up some chilli (or use dried chilli flakes if you’re too lazy) and mix with some diced (de-seeded & peeled) cucumber,
2) Leave to chill for between 2-4 hours.
3) Then just add a couple of tablespoons to your shaker before mixing up your margarita and mix away!
4) Enjoy you’re rather different Margarita.
6. Classic Tequila Slammer
Serves 1
1 Part Tequila
1 Part Soda Water
Build in a glass, cover with a napkin, lightly slam on the table and then take it down in one gulp.
Top Tip: For a twist on this classic cocktail; try using flavoured sodas. Grapefruit & Orange an easy twist, but for some great tasting drinks be a little wild, try something like hibiscus soda or lychee.
5. Tequila Sunrise
Serves 1
150ml Orange Juice*
1 teaspoon Sugar Syrup (simple syrup)
35ml Tequila
1 teaspoon Grenadine Syrup
Garnish: 1 slice of lime
Combine the orange juice, tequila and sugar syrup over ice in a glass, and then gently pour in the grenadine. Garnish with a slice (wheel) of lime.
4. La Pinela
Serves 1
Drink: 45ml Silver (Blanco) Tequila
45ml Fresh Pineapple Juice
15ml Licor 43
15ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Cinnamon Syrup
Garnish: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Lime wedge
Combine the sugar and ground cinnamon on a plate and wipe the rim of the glass with the lime wedge, then rim half of the glass with the sugar/cinnamon mixture and fill the glass with ice.
For the drink; combine all the other ingredients in a shaker and shake until the tin is iced (20-30 seconds). Strain it into the ice filled glass. Finish with a lime wheel.
3. Paloma
Serves 1
1 teaspoon fresh Lime Juice
30ml High-Quality Tequila (Silver)
Grapefruit Soda
Using a lime wedge, wipe the rim of half the glass, and dip it in coarse sea-salt. Then fill the glass with ice, adding the lime and tequila shortly after. Top up with the grapefruit soda and stir before serving. Garnish finally with a floating lime twirl/slice.
Top Tip: For an added kick, scrape out the inside of half a lime and fill it with a shot of tequila, floating this on top with a splash of salt will look stunning and supply you with an added ‘cocktail’ version of that classic tequila shot…
2. Zapatos Nuevos
Serves 2
120ml Silver (Blanco) Tequila
30ml Agave Nectar
500g (2 cups) Seedless Watermelon Cubes
30ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
Garnish: 2 basil leaves
Fill two highball glasses with ice and leave to one side. Then blend all of the ingredients until smooth and pour into the ice filled glasses. To garnish, gently slap the basil leaves between your hands and wedge just inside the glass for an added herb-hit…
1. Sonoran Iced-Tea
Serves 1
25ml Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
25ml Disaronno Amaretto
12.5ml Silver Tequila
12.5ml Lime Juice
60ml Fresh Cranberry Juice
OR
60ml POM Pomegranate Juice
Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker and shake until the tin is well iced. Strain into a tall glass filled with crushed ice. Serve with 2 straws and garnish with a lime wedge and cocktail cherry.
Top Tip: For a slightly different version try substituting POM: Fresh Pomegranate Juice in for the cranberry juice, or even go half ‘n’ half (30ml of each).
The Fervent Shaker 