Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the Mexican army's May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.
In the U.S., it's become a way to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage, which means your bar or restaurant has a reason to serve up even more tequila cocktails!
And if you're wondering which tequila cocktails rank supreme, Union, a data-driven hospitality engagement platform, recently released an OnPrem Insights report ranking the top tequila cocktails ordered at high-volume bars and restaurants across the country:
- Unsurprisingly, the margarita ranks as number-one, and all other tequila cocktails trail the margarita by 20 percent, according to Union’s research.
- The Mexican candy shot is gaining popularity as the second most ordered tequila drink. We've included a recipe, below!
- Rounding out the top three tequila cocktails are palomas, and you'll find a recipe and other grapefruit cocktails in our roundup.
Read on for our full collection of tequila cocktails for Cinco de Mayo. You'll also find mezcal cocktail recipes as the holiday is a great time to introduce your patrons to tequila's smokier cousin!
Invierno Ilegal
Ingredients:
2 oz. cinnamon-infused Ilegal Reposado
.75 oz. guava syrup**
.75 oz. fresh lime
Cinnamon-infused Reposado
Add 2 sticks of Mexican cinnamon to one 750ml bottle of Ilegal Mezcal Reposado and let sit for 6 hours.
** Guava syrup:
1 c sugar
1 c guava juice
Directions:
For the guava syrup, add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of guava juice. Bring to a boil and boil until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. For the cocktail recipe, add all ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously until chilled and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with grated cinnamon.
Del Maguey Mezcal Mule
Ingredients:
3 cucumber slices (plus 1 for garnish)
1⁄2 parts agave nectar
1 1⁄2 parts Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal
1 parts ginger beer
3⁄4 parts freshly squeezed lime juice
3⁄4 parts passion fruit puree, preferably Boiron brand
1 piece candied ginger, for garnish
1 pinch ground chile, for garnish
Directions:
Muddle the three cucumber slices and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker, and then add all the remaining ingredients, except the garnishes. Shake with ice, then fine-strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger and a slice of cucumber on a toothpick and a pinch of ground chile.
Altos Tequila Wild Berry in Paradise
Ingredients:
2 parts Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila
¾ parts Lime Juice
¾ parts Agave Syrup
1 Blackberry
2 Raspberries
3 Blueberries
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and muddle together. Shake vigorously and strain into a double rocks glass filled with ice.
The Mood Up Spritz
Ingredients:
1 oz. Próspero Reposado
1 oz. Hibiscus tea
.6 oz. Raspberry syrup
Top with Blood Orange Bitters Kefir Water
Directions:
Pour each ingredient into a wine glass, with each ingredient building on the next. Stir drink two times and then garnish with two slices of blood orange, a sprig of rosemary and a raspberry.
The Jalapeno Avocado Margarita
4 oz. Tequila Bribón Blanco
2 oz. Agave nectar (cut 50/50 with water)
2 oz. Fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 avocado, peeled and mashed
2 slices jalapeño
Lime wheels, for garnish
1 cup ice, plus extra for serving
Directions:
Fill two rocks glasses with ice. Set aside. Place ripe avocado, and jalapeno slices in a cocktail shaker. Muddle ingredients until they're thoroughly mashed. Add remaining ingredients to the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into the two rocks glasses. Garnish with the remaining lime wheels.
Spicy Mexican Candy Shot
Ingredients:
1 oz Ghost Tequila
.50 oz Watermelon Pucker
.25 oz Santa Cruz Lime Juice
Garnish with Tajín ½ Rim
Directions:
Add Ghost Tequila, Watermelon Pucker, and Santa Cruz lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into ½ Tajín rim shot glass.
Photo: Vanessa Palmisano
Passionfruit Margarita
Ingredients:
1 oz Kōloa Kaua’i White Rum
1 oz Tequila Reposado
½ oz Agave (add as needed)
½ oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Ripe Passion Fruit Pulp (with seeds)
Garnish: Lime Wedge
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shake with ice and shake vigorously. Add agave as needed for desired sweetness.
Sunrise in Oaxaca
Ingredients:
2 oz. Dos Hombres Espadín Mezcal
2 Tbsp. Grenadine
4 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
Directions:
Add Dos Hombres and orange juice with ice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into Collins glass. Slowly pour in grenadine. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Enjoy the sunrise!
Gran Centenario Grapefruit Mimosa
Ingredients:
"Piquetito" of Gran Centenario Plata Tequila
4 oz Prosecco
2 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
0.5 oz Honey
Garnish: Grapefruit Wedge
Directions:
Pour chilled prosecco into a wine glass. Dissolve honey into chilled grapefruit juice and then slowly pour over prosecco. Top it off with a "Piquetito" (about .5 oz) of Gran Centenario Plata tequila and apply garnish.
Watermelon Meets Lavender
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Recuerdo Mezcal Joven
½ oz orange juice
½ oz simple syrup
2 oz fresh watermelon, diced
1 oz Lavender infusion (to prepare boil 2 cups of water, remove from heat, and add 4 tablespoons dried lavender flowers. Allow to steep for 30 minutes, strain, and cool.)
Sparkling wine
Directions:
In a blender blend the orange juice, lavender infusion, and 1.5 oz of fresh watermelon (reserving .5 oz for garnish). Strain into a shaker with ice, add the Recuerdo Mezcal Joven and simple syrup and shake vigorously. Strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice, top with a splash of sparkling wine, and garnish with a lavender flower and remaining watermelon.
Cantera Negra
Cinco Paloma
2 oz Cantera Negra Silver
.5 oz fresh lime juice
5 oz Mexican Squirt
Tajin and sugar for rim
Directions:
Build over ice in a Collins glass rimmed with tajin/sugar mix (3 parts tajin to 1 part sugar). Stir and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Devil's Margarita
Ingredients:
.5 oz Sorel
1.5 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz Lime Juice, Freshly Squeezed
.75 oz Simple Syrup
Garnish: Lime Wheel
Directions:
Add the tequila, lime juice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Float the Sorel on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon so it pools on the surface of the drink.
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