28 Cocktails to Make with Tequila

Margarita

While the origins of this classic sour are up for debate, there’s no question that it’s one of the most popular cocktails in the world. The combination of blanco tequila and lime juice—sweetened with orange liqueur, agave syrup, or a combination of the two—has inspired countless riffs since its likely debut in the mid-20th century. 

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Paloma

It’s uncertain who first mixed up this grapefruit-flavored classic, but the combination of tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice has become one of Mexico’s favorite drinks since it debuted in the 1950s. Although a blanco tequila is the traditional choice, a lightly aged reposado also makes a fine drink. You can even swap in mezcal espadín.

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Siesta

Bar pro Katie Stipe was inspired by the Hemingway Daiquiri to create this riff in 2006 while working at New York City’s now-closed Pegu Club, swapping the classic’s white rum base for blanco tequila and maraschino liqueur for bitter Campari. Tequila and lime juice make the drink an unlikely cross between its Hemingway inspiration and a Margarita variation. 

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Tequila Manhattan

Reposado tequila typically ages in oak barrels that once held American whiskey, so it’s a natural fit for whiskey-centric drinks like the Manhattan. Also known as the Distrito Federal, after the former moniker of Mexico City, this spirit-forward drink swaps whiskey for reposado tequila alongside sweet vermouth and orange bitters. 

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Tequila Daisy

This citrusy precursor to the Margarita—which translates to “daisy” in English—contains tequila, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, sugar, and a splash of club soda. Though its origins are largely unknown, it likely stemmed from the Brandy Daisy, a popular pre-Prohibition drink.

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Rosita

Negroni fans may find a new favorite order in this spirit-forward and bittersweet drink, popularized by the late Gary “Gaz” Regan. The modern classic combines reposado tequila with sweet and dry vermouths, Campari, and Angostura bitters.

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Spicy Margarita

There’s no stopping the Spicy Margarita, which has become undeniably popular on bar menus around the world in the past couple decades. To make one at home, muddle jalapeño coins before shaking with blanco tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and agave syrup.

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Tequila Espresso Martini

This bright, chocolate-y riff from Los Angeles bartender Karla Flores-Mercado combines a blanco tequila with Caffe Lolita coffee liqueur, coffee concentrate, honey syrup, Zucca Rabarbero Amaro, and lemon oils. “The earthiness and saltiness of [tequila] blend really well with everything that you think of in an Espresso Martini, like coffee and chocolate,” she says.

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Tommy’s Margarita

The legendary Julio Bermejo created this cocktail in the early ‘90s at his family’s restaurant, Tommy’s Mexican, in San Francisco—and to some, it’s the only version of a Margarita worth drinking. The mixture relies solely on agave nectar to sweeten a mix of blanco tequila and lime juice, omitting orange liqueur. 

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Greenhorn

Houston bartender Bobby Heugel was inspired by the flavor combination of agave and melons to create this three-ingredient drink that can easily be replicated at bars and at home. The fruit-forward and gently bitter recipe includes blanco tequila, bright-green Midori, and gentian liqueur Suze.

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Cantarito

Traditionally served in a clay cup of the same name, this citrusy and fizzy cocktail is popular in Jalisco, Mexico, the state that is known for tequila’s production. Similar to a Paloma, it combines reposado tequila, multiple citrus juices, and a pinch of salt for slightly more complex results.
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Café Royal’s Tequila Matador

This classic first appeared in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book, which featured some of the earliest known cocktails to use tequila. The equal-parts combination of tequila, dry vermouth, and orange curaçao can easily be tweaked to taste.

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El Diablo

This refreshing mid-century classic from Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink, published in 1946, combines reposado tequila, black currant liqueur crème de cassis, lime juice, and ginger beer. While the recipe here calls for shaking the ingredients, you can also build the drink directly in the glass and add the crème de cassis last for a layered effect.

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Añejo Old Fashioned

The toasty notes of a barrel-aged tequila are well-suited to variations on whiskey cocktails like the Old Fashioned. This recipe comes from New York City bar pro Julie Reiner and swaps whiskey for añejo tequila alongside agave nectar and Angostura bitters.

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Mexican Firing Squad

This refreshing and tart classic, which first appeared in Charles H. Baker’s Gentleman’s Companion in 1939, was inspired by a cocktail the roving writer tried in Mexico City. What was once a very dry drink has evolved to meet modern tastes, combining blanco tequila, lime juice, grenadine, and Angostura bitters.

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Tequila Sunrise

Created in the early 1970s at the Trident Bar in Sausalito, California, this fun tequila classic got a boost in popularity when The Rolling Stones began ordering it at stops across the country on their 1972 tour. Adding grenadine last to a combination of tequila and orange juice allows the grenadine to sink for a striking and easy-to-create visual effect.

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Tequila Mockingbird

Muddled jalapeño and watermelon cubes add a refreshing kick to this Spicy Margarita riff from New York City bartender Greg Seider. Blanco tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup also go into the shaker.

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Ranch Water

The unofficial cocktail of West Texas is a simple combination of blanco tequila, lime juice, and sparkling mineral water. While it may seem like a regular Tequila Soda, the drink’s calling card is Topo Chico, which fans swear by. You can also add a splash of orange liqueur for a bubbly Margarita riff. 

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La Perla

This elegant three-ingredient cocktail from bar pro Jacques Bezuidenhout combines a lightly aged reposado tequila with manzanilla sherry and pear liqueur. Bezuidenhout calls it a “wonderfully dry aperitivo-style drink.”

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Lone Ranger

This French 75-inspired cocktail from bar pro Jeffrey Morgenthaler may be the perfect summer drink. He tops a mixture of blanco tequila, lemon juice, and rich simple syrup with rosé sparkling wine.

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Savory Margarita

It’s not quite a green juice, but this drink from bartending veteran Charlotte Voisey packs a veggie-forward flavor. She combines reposado tequila with lime and fresh red bell pepper juice, which she balances with honey syrup and enlivens with fresh cilantro.

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Tequila Honey Bee

This agave-forward Bee’s Knees variation from chef and bartender Nick Korbee combines reposado tequila, honey syrup, lemon juice, and Angostura bitters. A dash of mezcal rinses the glass for a hint of smoke.

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Bright Lights

Flat sparkling wine finds new life in the rosé cava syrup that bar pro Ivy Mix prepares for this drink she developed at Leyenda in Brooklyn, New York. The syrup sweetens a bright and complex combination of blanco tequila, sotol, verjus, and celery bitters.

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Colletti Royale

The Margarita meets the Spritz in this citrusy and slightly floral sparkler from Reiner. She tops a mixture of reposado tequila, Cointreau, St-Germain, blood orange and lime juices, and orange bitters with rosé Champagne.

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Tequila Corpse Reviver

This Corpse Reviver No. 2 riff from blogger and recipe developer Matt Armato nods to the original but includes a few twists. The citrusy and slightly floral drink combines blanco tequila with blanc vermouth, triple sec, absinthe, lime, and orange juice.

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Bloody Maria

We don’t know who first swapped vodka for tequila in the classic Bloody Mary template, but it’s become a go-to brunch order for agave-spirit fans ever since. While versions vary, ours combines tequila with tomato juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, two hot sauces, celery salt, and ground black pepper.

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White Dragon

This variation on the gin-based White Lady from legendary bartender Jim Meehan combines a blanco tequila with Cointreau, lemon juice, and an egg white. Its citrusy flavor profile and tequila base also make it a great deviation from the typical Margarita.

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Tequila Limeade

This savory-leaning Mojito variation from Armato swaps the rum base for blanco tequila and mint for cilantro and jalapeño. Sweetened with agave nectar and topped with club soda, it’s an ideal warm-weather drink.

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