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Writer's pictureLeanne Cantalupo

25 Cocktails to Serve at Your Cinco de Mayo Celebration

by Charlotte Chilton

Published on April 15, 2019 by www.townandcountrymag.com


Photo via Gitano Jungle Room/Paper Daisy/Recreation.

When celebrating Cinco de Mayo is there really any other choice than a tequila cocktail? This year, whether you opt for the traditional margarita or shake things up with a smokey Mezcal drink, avoid the crowded and pricey Mexican restaurants and mix up these tasty cocktails instead. We've rounded up the very best cocktails to help you celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a fun fiesta at home. Here are the best drinks for Cinco de Mayo:



Classic Margarita

Photo credit: @bhofack2/Getty Images

Ingredients: 2 oz tequila 1 oz triple sec 1 oz lime juice 1 lime cut into wedges


Instructions: Salt the glasses rim by dipping wet glass rim into salt dish and rotating. Combine all ingredients into a shaker, shake well and strain into the rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.




Margarita Al Pastor

Drink created by Jim Kearns at Recreation at Moxy NYC Downtown. Photo credit: Will Engelmann.

Ingredients: 1 cilantro sprig .75 oz lime 1 oz pineapple juice .5 oz agave .25 oz Ferrand Curacao .5 oz Ancho Reyes Verde .5 oz St. George Green Chile 1 oz Espolon Blanco


Instructions: Add ingredients to a shaker and shake. Strain into a glass over ice and garnish with a pineapple frond, pineapple wedge, and cilantro.


SHOP NOW Bottle of Ancho Reyes Verde, $40.43




Doctor's Orders

Drink courtesy of La Central in Hotel Americano in New York City. Photo credit: Ken Goodman Photography.


Ingredients: .5 oz Mezcal 1.5 oz blanco tequila 1 oz spiced carrot cordial .5 oz pineapple juice .75 of lemon juice


Instructions: Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake and pour over ice into a glass with a chili salt half rim. Garnish with a baby carrot.










Havana Margarita

Drink and photo courtesy of Ocho at Hotel Havana in San Antonio, TX.


Ingredients: 1.5 oz blanco tequila .5 oz orange liqueur .75 oz fresh lime juice .25 oz organice agave nectar


Instructions: Shake all ingredients well with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a salted rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.










The Luxe Margarita

Drink and photo courtesy of Cointreau.


Ingredients: 1 oz blanco tequila 1 oz Cointreau .5 oz fresh lime juice 1 champagne float 3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters


Instructions: Add Cointreau, tequila and lime juice into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled champagne coup. Top with champagne and bitters. Garnish with a rose petal.







The Night Market

Created by Gates Otsuji, available at The Crown at 50 Bowery Hotel. Photo credit: The Crown.

Ingredients: 1 spanked shiso 1 serrano pepper, muddled .75 oz pineapple syrup .75 oz yuzu juice 2 0z tequila


Instructions: Add shiso and muddled serrano pepper to shaker. Then add pineapple syrup, yuzu juice, and tequila. Shake and strain into glass over ice. Garnish with a sliced pineapple and cherries.


Created by Gates Otsuji, available at The Crown at 50 Bowery Hotel.





Avión Rosé Marg

Photo and drink courtesy of Avión Tequila.


Ingredients: 1.5 parts Avión Silver .5 part fresh lemon .5 part fresh lime .5 part agave nectar 1 bottle of rosé


Instructions: Combine all ingredients, shake vigorously and strain over ice into a collins glass. Top with rosé and garnish with a lime wheel.









My Fair Lady

Drink and photo courtesy of Primrose at Park MGM in Las Vegas.


Ingredients: 1.25 oz Herradura Blanco .75 oz Bols yogurt .5 oz fresh lemon juice .25 oz honey syrup 5 slices of cucumber A pinch of Maldon salt Garnish with a cucumber ribbon


Instructions: Place cucumbers into shaker tin. Add honey syrup and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients into the tin and shake hard. Double strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cucumber ribbon.











Spicy Pineapple Paloma

Drink courtesy Carralejo Tequila. Photo credit: Beautiful Booze


Ingredients: 2 oz Carralejo Silver .5 oz grapefruit juice .5 oz lime juice half of a serrano pepper, sliced .75 oz agave syrup Pineapple soda Tajín spices (garnish)


Instructions: Add all ingredients, except pineapple soda to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients. Strain over into a tall glass that's been rimmed with Tajín spices. Top with pineapple soda and garnish with a serrano pepper.






Oaxaca Sour

Drink and photo courtesy of Añejo in New York City.


Ingredients: .75 oz Peloton de la Muerte Mezcal .75 oz Johnnie Walker Black 1 oz simple syrup .5 oz fresh lemon juice .5 oz fresh lime juice .5 oz Malbec


Instructions: Combine all ingredients except the Malbec in a shaker with ice. Shake. Double strain over fresh ice in a Brandy Snifter. Float Malbec.








Matcha Margarita

Drink and photo courtesy of Cointreau.


Ingredients: 2 oz tequila 1 oz Cointreau .75 fresh lime juice .5 barspoon Matcha Green Tea Powder


Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.










Smoky Mountain Song Bird

Drink created by Claire Sprouse, owner and bartender of Hunky Dory. Photo by Hunky Dory.



Ingredients: 1.5 oz Henriques & Henriques 3 year rainwater Madeira 1 oz Derrumbus Mezcal 1 oz turmeric syrup .5 oz lemon juice


Instructions: Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake with pebble ice. Strain over ice into a large glass. Garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel.











Tijuana Petting Zoo

Drink created by Thomas Flynn, available at Paper Daisy. Photo by Paper Daisy.

Ingredients: 2 oz olive oil fat washed Tromba blanco .5 oz grapefruit juice .5 oz lime juice 1 oz roasted red pepper syrup 5 pink peppercorns


Instructions: Combine all ingredients, shake and finely strain into an old fashioned glass. Garnish the rim with Tajin spices and a dehydrated lime.












The Lemon Basil Margarita

Drink and photo courtesy of Cointreau.

Ingredients: 1 oz Cointreau 1.5 oz blanco tequila .5 oz fresh lemon juice .5 oz fresh lime juice 3 basil leaves


Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add ice. Shake and strain over ice in a rock glass. Garnish with basil and a lemon wheel.






Prickly Pear Guajillo Margarita

Drink courtesy of DJ Dodd, available at Broken Shaker at Freehand Hotel in Chicago, IL. Photo by Feliciasaade.

Ingredients: 1.5 oz altos tequila infused with guajillo pepper .5 oz Amaro Del Capo or Amaro Meletti .75 prickly pear agave .75 lime Sassafras salt rim


Instructions for prickly pear agave: Cook 1 part prickly pear puree, 2 parts agave, and 2 parts water together until it is all incorporated. Strain to remove excess pulp.


Instructions: Allow guajillo to rest in tequila for up to four or five hours. If you want it extra spicy– let it rest even longer. Salt the glass rim and add all ingredients into a shaker. Shake and pour over ice. Garnish with lime wedge or dried citrus wheel.



Passion Fruit Margarita

Photo and drink courtesy of Avión Tequila.

Ingredients:

2 parts Avión Silver

1 part fresh lime juice

1 part Agave nector

.5 part of Passion Fruit Liqueur


Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Double strain over fresh ice in a tumbler glass. Garnish with lime.







Mex-Mosa

Drink created by Mixologists Paul Lewis and Michael Moody, available at the Chester in New York City. Photo by Gansevort.



Ingredients: 2 oz tequila .75 oz simple syrup .75 oz fresh grapefruit juice Bottle of prosecco


Instructions: Add tequila, simple syrup, and grapefruit juice to a shaker. Shake and strain into a champagne flute. Top with prosecco and garnish with a mint leaf, strawberry, or orange wedge.












Total Tropicalism

Drink and photo courtesy of Gitano Jungle Room.


Ingredients: 2 oz Tequila .5 oz ginger .75 oz lemon .75 oz honey


Instructions: Add ingredients into a shaker. Shake and strain into an absinthe rinsed rocks glass. Top with Mezcal and garnish with charred lemon wheel, umbrella optional.













Pina Sabia

Drink created by Ivy Mix at DIEGO at PUBLIC Hotel. Photo by Eric Medsker.


Ingredients: 1 oz Paranubes 1 oz Illegal Mezcal .75 oz pineapple/ sage syrup .75 oz lime 1 dash cardamom bitters


Instructions: Combine ingredients into a shaker. Shake and serve in a coupe glass. Garnish with a sage leaf.












Party Lobster

Drink created by Will Wyatt, available at Mister Paradise. Photo by Mister Paradise.


Ingredients: 4 dashes fermented habanero/ garlic brine .25 oz Campari .5 oz Mezcal .75 oz fresh lime juice 1 oz clarified watermelon cordial 1.5 oz Blanco Tequila


Instructions: Combine all ingredients, serve over ice in a double old-fashioned class. Garnish with a lime wheel.









Tequila Julep

Drink and photo courtesy of Ocho at Hotel Havana in San Antonio, TX.



Ingredients: 1.5 oz tequila Crushed ice Simple syrup 6 to 7 mint leaves and sprigs


Instructions: Muddle 6 to 7 mint leaves with simple syrup in the bottom of a chilled julep cup. Add tequila and crushed ice. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs.











Maid to Order

Drink created by Jim Kearns, available at Happiest Hour in New York City. Photo by Happiest Hour.


Ingredients: 1.5 oz of the spirit of your choice (tequila, gin, or rum) .75 oz lime juice .75 oz simple syrup .75 oz cucumber juice 5-6 mint leaves


Instructions: Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Shake and serve over ice in a rock glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice and mint sprig.







Colsa Martini

Drink created by Mica Rousseau of Mexico City. Photo courtesy of Don Julio.

Ingredients: 1.5 oz Don Julio 70 tequila .66 oz white vermouth 2 dashes of grapefruit bitters 1 grapefruit twist


Instructions: Combine tequila, vermouth, and grapefruit bitters into a mixing glass with ice. Stir well. Strain contents into a coupe glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.













Smokin' Maid

Drink created by Jim Kearns, available at Tijuana Picnic in New York City. Photo by David R. Gleason.


Ingredients: .75 oz Mezcal .75 oz jalapeño tequila .75 oz cucumber juice .5 oz agave syrup 1 lime (squeezed) 5-6 mint leaves


Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with mint spring, cucumber slice and salt and pepper half rim.







Arlo Collins

Drink available at A.L.B. Arlo Lobby Bar in New York City. Photo by Arlo Lobby Bar.


Ingredients: 1.5 oz Hendricks Gin .75 oz lime juice .75 oz cucumber juice .75 oz thyme syrup 3 dashes black pepper tincture 3 oz club soda


Instructions: Add all ingredients, except club soda, into a small tin. Fill with ice and short shake for 5 seconds. Double strain into the small tin and add soda. Pour into a highball glass and add fresh ice. Garnish with a thyme sprig and cucumber wheel.








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