It’s that time of year again when Americans of all ethnic backgrounds get together to celebrate Mexican culture with bites and beverages.
Cinco de Mayo may be a military holiday in its mother country, but in the States, it’s grown far past its historical meaning to represent general merriment—and for many, that means tequila and mezcal drinks.
See also: 7 Delicious Margarita Recipes From Celebrity Caterer Andrea Correale
Whether you like margaritas or not, these tequila and mezcal-based cocktails will help you and yours make the most of the night.
This rosy sip comes from the folks at Astral Tequila and gets its beautiful color from a mix of blueberries, lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda.
Ingredients:
Directions: Add all ingredients except club soda to an ice-filled shaker and muddle the blueberries. Shake for six to eight seconds. Add club soda to the shaker and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
This coconut concoction comes courtesy of Javier Garcia, mixologist at the Caliza Mexican restaurant in New York City. It tastes like vacation and is best enjoyed with friends and family at home.
Ingredients:
Directions: Simply mix all the ingredients in a shaker over ice, and pour in your favorite glass to enjoy.
This refreshing cocktail is the brainchild of James Beard Award-winning chef Pati Jinich. Frozen watermelon, red grapes and fresh lime juice give this sip a beautiful color and complex flavor profile. A bit of jalapeno can be added for some spice!
Ingredients:
Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. Garnish with a lime wedge and fresh red grapes. The recipe serves four.
Founded in 2006, Ilegal Mezcal tips its hat to the smugglers of old. It also tips its glass to you with this classic margarita recipe. They even sell margarita kits.
Ingredients:
Directions: Add to a shaker with ice. Shake, and dump ingredients into a pre-salted rimmed rocks glass.
El Bandido Yankee tequila is headed by NHL great Chris Chelios and former NFL athlete Jim Bob Morris. They know a thing or two about greatness, and this fruity take on the margarita knows a thing or two about flavor.
Ingredients:
Directions: Mix ingredients in a pitcher filled with ice. Pour over a full glass of ice.
Patron is one of the most well-known tequilas in the game. Use the brand’s recipe for a pineapple margarita with floral notes.
Ingredients:
Directions: Shake all ingredients with cubed ice quickly, about 4 to 5 seconds. Fine strain over crushed ice in a rocks or a Collins glass. Garnish with a large sprig of pineapple mint and lemon verbena. Add a wedge of charred pineapple, if desired. To make those, cut whole pineapple into spears, omitting the tough center piece. Grill on an open flame or in a grill pan for 5 minutes, flip or rotate and char the opposite side for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, blend and strain.
More of a rum drinker? You can still celebrate the holiday with Don Papa Rum’s fresh take on mezcal and citrus.
Ingredients:
Directions: Mix ingredients over ice in a shaker. Serve in a Collin’s glass with ice and soda. Top with a cherry Heering and garnish with a burnt grapefruit wedge.
Fishers Island Lemonade mixes summery flavors with vodka for a 9 percent ABV that packs a punch all on its own. Mix it with tequila and fresh juice for a funky twist.
Ingredients:
Directions: Put all ingredients into a shaker and shake well. Serve over ice in a salt-rimmed glass with lime. Try frozen or blended, and garnish with a salted rim and a lime.
Tanteo tequila is a cooperative of 85-plus agave farmers who have taken control of their own futures, and you can take control of your flavor profile with this recipe, choosing to use either Tanteo’s Jalapeño, Habanero or Chipotle tequila.
Ingredients:
Directions: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
Spice things up with this jalapeno-tinged margarita from the good folks over at Corralejo tequila.
Ingredients:
Directions: Rim your glass with salt. Add cucumber and jalapeno to the shaker, and gently muddle. Add the rest of the ingredients to the shaker. Shake to chill and combine ingredients. Fine strain into a low-ball glass. Garnish and enjoy!
Crafted in the original hacienda Corralejo, Los Arango tequila brings a ravishing and beautiful sip rooted in pink hues and spicy flavors.
Ingredients:
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake well. Rim a Nick n Nora glass with cracked pink/black peppercorn salt. Hawthorne and fine strain the cocktail into your prepped glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist. Garnish with a grapefruit twist and salt cracked pink and peppercorn rim.
From the marvelous minds of Breaking Bad co-stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston, Dos Hombres mezcal invites you to enjoy sunrise at any hour.
Ingredients:
Directions: Add Dos Hombres and orange juice with ice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a Collins glass. Slowly pour in grenadine. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Enjoy the sunrise!
Photography by: Courtesy of Astral Tequila; Courtesy of Vita Coco; Courtesy of Gran Centenario Plata Tequila; Courtesy of Ilegal Mezcal; Courtesy of El Bandido; Courtesy of Parton; Courtesy of Don Papa Rum; Courtesy of Fishers Island Lemonade; Courtesy of Tanteo Tequila; Courtesy of Corralejo Tequila; Courtesy of Los Arango Tequila; Courtesy of Dos Hombres Mezcal
