Tequila Day Is Here (Yes, Actually), so Celebrate With These 9 Cocktails

Fancy a tequila? What about a fancy tequila cocktail that’s surprisingly simple to make? (And on International Tequila Day, no less.) Good, that’s what we’re here for.

If you’ve ever wondered what tequila is actually made of, it comes from the Weber blue agave plant. Fermentable sugars are extracted from the core of the plant, and that sugary juice is then combined with yeast. That’s it.

There’s a real art to pairing tequila with food, and it all starts with knowing the difference between the Blanco, Reposado and Aňejo styles.

Cazcabel, Patrón and Casamigos have each developed a world of flavours with their range of tequilas, and now they’ve made it easy to harness those flavours with some classy cocktails.

These tequila cocktails may look fancy (perfect for impressing guests), but they’re pretty easy to pull off. So let’s get started!

Our favourite tequila cocktail recipes

Picante cocktail recipe

Glass: collins glass  

Garnish: dried lime wheel, fresh coriander and red chilli

What you’ll need: 

• 60ml Cazcabel Blanco Tequila
• 20ml lime juice
• 3 dashes of green Tabasco
• Top with premium ginger beer

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a collins glass and stir well before filling with lots of cubed ice.
2. Top with premium ginger beer and garnish.

Prickly pear margarita recipe

Garnish: lime wheel

What you’ll need:

• 1.5 oz (about 45ml) Casamigos Blanco Tequila
• 0.75 oz (about 20ml) Fresh Lemon Juice
• 0.5 oz (about 15ml) Prickly Pear Puree
• 0.25 oz (about 7ml) Simple Syrup
• Optional: 2 Dashes Orange Bitters

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker.
2. Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into a small rocks glass.
3. Add fresh ice and garnish.

Spicy cucumber jalapeño margarita

Garnish: cucumber wheel and jalapeño slice

What you’ll need:

• 1.5 oz (about 45ml) Casamigos Blanco Tequila
• 0.75 oz (about 20ml) Fresh Lime Juice
• 0.25 oz (about 7ml) Simple Syrup
• 2 Cucumber Slices
• 1 Jalapeno Slice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker.
2. Muddle cucumber/jalapeño.
3. Add ice, shake vigorously and fine strain into a small rocks glass.
4. Add fresh ice and garnish.

Hot tip: For a Smoky variation, swap out Casamigos Blanco Tequila for Casamigos Mezcal Joven.

Anejo tequila highball recipe

Serves 1

What you’ll need:

• 45ml Patrón Anejo
• 150 ml Club Soda
• Orange twist

Directions:

1. Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice, the clearest and coldest available.
2. Add Patrón Anejo and club soda, stir gently from the bottom up.
3. Garnish with an expressed peel of orange.

Pomegranate margarita recipe

Glass: rocks glass   

Garnish: lime wedge

What you’ll need: 

• 30ml Cazcabel Reposado Tequila
• 20ml Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
• 25ml lime juice

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with lots of ice.
2. Shake well, strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass and garnish.

Patrón Anejo tequila old fashioned recipe

Serves 1

What you’ll need:

• 60ml Patrón Anejo
• 7.5ml simple syrup
• 1 dash Bitters
• Orange zest

Directions:

1. Over a double old-fashioned glass, use a vegetable peeler to take off two strips or orange zest, making sure to express the oil into the glass.
2. Add Patrón Anejo, simple syrup, and bitters.
3. Add ice – the biggest cubes you can find – and stir.
4. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Paloma noches recipe

Glass: highball glass    

Garnish: slice of grapefruit

What you’ll need: 

• 30ml Cazcabel Blanco Tequila
• 30ml Cazcabel Coffee Tequila
• 30ml grapefruit juice
• Pink grapefruit soda, to top off

Directions:

1. Muddle a passionfruit and add the rest of the ingredients.
2. Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a highball glass, and garnish.

Patrón tequila paloma cocktail recipe

Serves 1

What you’ll need:

• 45ml Patrón Reposado
• 90ml Fresh grapefruit juice
• 15ml Agave syrup
• 15ml fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 30ml sparkling water
• Sugar and salt for rimming
• Grapefruit wedge for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a shaker tin and shake with ice to chill.
2. Strain onto fresh ice in a sugar and salt-rimmed collins glass.
3. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

Nectar of the Gods recipe

Glass: heatproof cup    

Garnish: slice of apple and cinnamon stick

What you’ll need: 

• 30ml Cazcabel Honey Tequila
• 150ml hot cider

Directions:

1. Heat the cider in a pan and stir in the Cazcabel Honey Tequila.
2. Serve in a heatproof glass or cup and garnish.

Now all that’s left to do is sit back and enjoy.

This article has been updated since its original publish date.