Mix your own tequila cocktails at home
Story and photos by JANNA ZEPP
Most folks don’t think past margaritas and shooters when it comes to tequila and that does this amazing spirit no favors. Tequila, my friends, is a lady and should be treated as such. The beverage is far more elegant than given credit and comes with an impressive history. Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, let’s take a look at tequila and four great drink recipes worthy of celebration.
Centuries old, tequila comes from the blue agave plant. The Aztecs first used the agave plant to make a drink called pulque for use in religious ceremonies and made by fermenting the plant’s sap. After the Spanish colonizers showed up in Mexico in the 16th century, they began to make their own version of Aztec pulque called mezcal. The drink, first created in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, at a distillery built by the Marquis of Altamira, was made with the same blue agave sap, but distilled.
There are different types of tequila, each with their own flavor and character. The most well-known types of tequila are blanco, reposado, and añejo.
Blanco or silver tequila comes from unaged agave. Clear in color and with a slightly sweet flavor, it is popular in cocktails, such as margaritas.
Reposado tequila must age for at least two months in oak barrels. Its mellow flavor makes it best used in mixed drinks.
Añejo tequila ages for at least one year in oak barrels. Its rich, smooth taste makes it a good choice for enjoying served neat or on the rocks.
Extra añejo tequila ages for at least three years in oak barrels. Smoother than regular añejo, it also makes a delicious drink alone or over ice.
The process of making tequila is as complicated as with any other distilled spirit and it is worth your time to learn about it. But for now, let’s look at four amazing ways to enjoy it in cocktails and mixed drinks.
Tequila Sunrise
This classic 1970s cocktail has a history with both the Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger loves it) and the Eagles, hence the song, Tequila Sunrise which was released in 1973, the same year a popular tequila company put the recipe on the back labels of their bottles.
The Tequila Sunrise, though simple to make, requires exact attention to detail to arrive at the illusion of a sunrise in a glass. Take your time and practice often until you get it right.
Ingredients
2 oz. blanco tequila
4 oz. orange juice, freshly squeezed
¼ oz. grenadine
Garnish: orange slice
Garnish: cherry
Make it: Add the tequila and then the orange juice to a chilled highball glass filled with ice. Top with the grenadine, which will sink to the bottom of the glass, creating a layered effect. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
La Reina
I created this cocktail based on one I tried at a Waco-area restaurant last January. I’ve modified it just a bit for my own delicate palate and named it La Reina (The Queen) because it, quite frankly, is my favorite and worthy of a crown among tequila cocktails.
Ingredients
2 oz. reposado tequila
½ oz. sweet vermouth
½ oz. dry vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash Campari bitters
Orange peel
Make it: In a mixing tin or cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the tequila, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Stir with a bar spoon until chilled (about 30 seconds). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Paloma
This light, refreshing cocktail is an elegant alternative to a champagne mimosa at Sunday brunch. It calls for grapefruit and grapefruit juice, but if you can’t have grapefruit or its juice for whatever reason, you can try it with orange juice or another citrus juice of your choice.
Ingredients
Chile-lime spice mix
1 grapefruit wedge
2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
½ oz. fresh lime juice
¼ oz. simple syrup or 1 tsp. granulated sugar
2 oz. mezcal or tequila
2 oz. club soda
Make it: Pour some Chile-lime spice mix on a small plate. Rub half the outer rim of a highball glass with 1 grapefruit wedge; roll moistened rim of the glass in the spice mix. Reserve wedge. Combine 2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice, ½ oz. fresh lime juice, and ¼ oz. simple syrup or 1 tsp. granulated sugar in salt-rimmed glass; stir until combined and sugar (if using) is dissolved. Add 2 oz. mezcal or tequila and fill glass with ice; stir until chilled, 30 seconds. Top with 2 oz. club soda, stir gently to combine, and garnish with grapefruit wedge.
Berry Ranch Water
I’ve come to really enjoy ranch waters. Light and clean tasting, it’s a nice change from other tequila cocktails and mixed drinks. But I like a little more flavor in my refreshments, so I add dark and/or red berries and a lightly berry-flavored sparkling water to my tequila.
Ingredients
Ice
3 oz. blanco tequila (I prefer reposado, but you do you)
1 ½ oz. blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, or raspberry juice
Sparkling water with a matching berry-flavor
Make it: Fill a glass with ice. Add about three ounces (two shots) of tequila and about an ounce and a half (a shot) of fresh berry juice.
Top with flavored sparkling water. Garnish with fresh berries in the glass.
Note: If you love tequila cocktails, but not the hangover or the liver damage, consider some of the non-alcoholic tequilas currently available for purchase. Non-alcoholic cocktails are becoming a popular thing, and they taste great. If I have a choice, it’s my “go-to” refreshment pick.
