Well, I'm just going to say it: today is National Tequila Day and I think that means that we ALL should be celebrating!
Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am a pretty serious margarita devotee. I've always liked cocktails over beer or wine and, to me, the margarita is as perfect as they come. But today is national TEQUILA day, not National Margarita Day (which, yes, I already celebrated back in February), so I wanted to see what else this delicious liquor could offer me. From the Aztec summer (a perfect summery drink), the classic tequila sunrise, an oh-so-delicious copa verde (with avocado!), a paloma brava and a brave bull (basically a tequila-style black Russian), there's something here for everyone who wants to celebrate this holiday.
Readmore ¿Qué más? Celebrate National Margarita Day with these classic, sweet and spicy versions
What is your favorite tequila cocktail? Do you still want a margarita at the end of the day? Share with us in the comments below!
Aztec Summer
Ingredients: 3/4 oz. Tequila Don Julio Blanco, 1/4 oz. Apertif Wine, 1/4 oz. Mezcal, 1/4 oz. agave syrup, 1/4 oz. fresh lime juice, Cucumber, Cucumber slices for garnish
Directions: Muddle cucumber in a cocktail shaker. Add Tequila Don Julio Blanco, Apertif Wine, Mezcal, Agave Syrup and Fresh Lime Juice into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain contents into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with cucumber slice.
Recipe courtesy of Huffington Post.
Tequila Sunrise
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz. tequila, 3 oz. orange juice, 1 tsp. grenadine
Directions: Shake well with cracked ice, then strain into a large, chilled cocktail glass. Pour in the grenadine and stir gently, for no longer than is necessary to produce the sunrise effect (you know, layers of oranges and reds and whatnot–or, you can just shake the grenadine in with everything else; we do). This baby is usually served on the rocks, in a Collins glass; our way looks better. If, however, you just can't bring yourself to squeeze your own oranges, better build it on the rocks–with store-bought OJ, it turns out kinda thick.
Recipe cpourtesy of Esquire magazine.
Copa Verde
Ingredients: 2 parts silver tequila, 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice,1 part water, 1 part agave nectar (plus more for rimming the glass), 1/4 medium avocado, fresh thyme leaves (barely chopped), Salt, Ice
Directions: Blend all ingredients except thyme, salt, and ice in a blender until smooth. Mix together thyme and salt and rim a shooter glass using agave nectar as an adhesive. In a cocktail shaker, shake blended ingredients well with ice, then strain into the rimmed shooter glass.
Recipe courtesy of Chow.com.
Paloma Brava
Ingredients: Ice, pinch of salt, 1 1/2 oz. reposado tequila (such as Don Julio), juice of 1 lime, juice of 1 small orange, juice of 1 small grapefruit, 4 oz. grapefruit soda, agave nectar to taste, lime wheel to garnish
Directions: Fill a large glass mug with ice. Add salt, tequila, lime, orange, and grapefruit juice. Stir gently. Top off with grapefruit soda, add agave nectar to taste and garnish with lime wheel.
Recipe courtesy of Serious Eats.
Brave Bull
Ingredients: 2 oz. blanco (white or silver) tequila, 1 oz. Kahlua
Directions: Pour the tequila into an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes. Add the Kahlua. Swirl the glass gently a few times to lightly mix the ingredients before serving.
Recipe courtesy of About.com.
