Tequila cocktails
Look for "100% agave" on the label. Cheaper mixto tequilas are made with added sugar and taste harsh in a cocktail.
A blanco tequila is the right choice for almost everything here; mezcal adds smoke when you want it.
12 recipes
Blanco, reposado, añejo and mezcal
Blanco is unaged, or rested only briefly, and tastes of fresh agave, pepper and citrus. Reposado spends at least two months in oak and añejo at least a year, so they taste rounder, with vanilla and caramel. Every recipe on this page calls for blanco, apart from the mezcal drink.
Save reposado and añejo for sipping. Cocktail ingredients such as lime juice and orange liqueur cover the finer oak notes anyway.
Both come from agave. Tequila is made from blue Weber agave, while mezcal can use many agave varieties and is often smoky, because the agave hearts are roasted in earth pits.
The Mezcal Margarita shows the difference well: 40 ml mezcal, 20 ml Cointreau, 25 ml lime juice and 5 ml agave syrup, served over ice. It is rebalanced for mezcal rather than being a simple swap.
How to make a Margarita
A Margarita is 50 ml blanco tequila, 25 ml Cointreau and 25 ml lime juice, shaken for about 12 seconds and strained into a chilled coupe. Salt only half the rim, so each person can choose.
Tommy's margarita leaves out the orange liqueur and uses 60 ml tequila, 30 ml lime juice and 15 ml agave syrup, served over ice. It tastes cleaner and more tequila-led. There is more on Margarita cocktails.
Easy long tequila drinks
For a simple long drink, try the Paloma: 50 ml tequila, 15 ml lime juice and 100 ml grapefruit soda, with a salted rim. The Batanga swaps the grapefruit soda for 100 ml of cola.
The tequila sunrise is 50 ml tequila and 100 ml orange juice with 15 ml grenadine poured in last, so it settles at the bottom.
Salt, lime and serving tips
Fresh lime juice matters more than the brand of tequila. Squeeze it just before you mix, because bottled juice tastes flat. Wet the rim with a lime wedge rather than water, and use flaky sea salt, which sticks well and tastes cleaner than table salt.
Chill the glass for shaken drinks, and shake hard for about 12 seconds. Tequila is strong, so a long drink such as a Paloma is a good choice if you want something to sip at an easy pace.
Questions people ask
What is the best tequila for margaritas?
A 100% agave blanco tequila is the best choice for margaritas. It tastes clean and bright, and it stands up to lime and orange liqueur. Avoid mixto tequilas, which contain added sugars and can taste harsh. You do not need a reposado or añejo.
What is in a Margarita?
A Margarita is blanco tequila, orange liqueur and fresh lime juice, usually with a salted rim. This recipe uses 50 ml of tequila, 25 ml of Cointreau or another triple sec and 25 ml of lime juice, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled coupe.
What is the difference between tequila and mezcal?
Tequila is made only from blue Weber agave, while mezcal can be made from many agave types. Mezcal is often smoky because the agave is roasted in earth pits, whereas tequila is usually cleaner and brighter. Both can be used in a Margarita.
What is a Tommy's margarita?
A Tommy's margarita is a Margarita made with agave syrup instead of orange liqueur. It uses 60 ml of tequila, 30 ml of lime juice and 15 ml of agave syrup, shaken and served over ice. It is cleaner, simpler and lets the tequila show.
What is the easiest tequila cocktail to make?
The Paloma and the Batanga are the easiest tequila cocktails. Both are built in the glass over ice with 50 ml of tequila and a little lime juice, then topped with 100 ml of grapefruit soda for a Paloma or cola for a Batanga. No shaker is needed.
What can you mix with tequila?
Lime juice, orange liqueur, grapefruit soda, cola and orange juice all work well with tequila. Lime and orange liqueur make a Margarita, grapefruit soda makes a Paloma, cola makes a Batanga, and orange juice with grenadine makes a tequila sunrise.