How to Celebrate National Tequila Day with the Taste of Summer: Cool Cocktail Recipes & Garnishes
I adore tequila. It’s rich flavor and rich history offer so much to talk about during the bewitching cocktail hour.
Not that we need any other reason to pour this most tasty spirit; but it is National Tequila Day, after all.
I love all these cocktail mixes -- made the watermelon and Patron for our Independence Day/Fireworks/Birthday party grand Fiesta -- and served it in the watermelon! With a Williams Sonoma Watermelon Tap Kit. Adorable. So Love and Lust (I just like saying the moniker!) is tops on my tasting list, followed in short by It’s Summer - because well - this is the nicest day of the summer so far. And I’m not just saying that because it’s National Tequila Day. Well, maybe a little…
But mainly because the Prosecco and the St. Germaine are two of my favorites. So delicious and refreshing.
Cheers!
Love and Lust
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Patrón Silver
- 2 oz Fresh watermelon juice
- .15 oz Fresh lime
- 4 Fresh basil leaves
- Fresh black pepper drops
- Watermelon slice for garnish
- Simple syrup to taste
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill.
Strain onto fresh ice in a double old fashioned glass.
Garnish with a watermelon slice
It’s Summer
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Patrón Silver
- 1.5 oz MARTINI Prosecco
- .85 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
- .85 oz Lemon juice
- .35 oz Agave syrup
- 2 Raspberries
- 2 Blackberries
Add all the ingredients, except the MARTINI Prosecco, in a shaker.
Pour into a highball glass.
Top with MARTINI Prosecco.
Garnish with a mint sprig, blackberries and raspberries.
Heritage Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Patrón Estate Release
.75 oz Patrón Citronge Orange
.5 oz Persian lime juice
.25 oz Simple syrup
Method:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill.
Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe.
Garnish with a key lime wheel.
Patrón Añejo (SRP: $66) A distinctly barrel-aged spirit, Patrón Añejo develops a sweeter profile over time due to its interaction with oak barrels for 12 to 15 months. Big wood notes become prevalent during this time without overpowering the baked agave flavors that are uniquely Patrón. Perfect for sipping or in your favorite cocktail, the spirit also features an elegant, smoky sweet finish. Sip Patrón Añejo neat or in a craft cocktail, as it makes an incredible bourbon or whiskey substitute. Many people find Patrón Añejo to be the perfect after dinner drink or dessert accompaniment.
Patrón Reposado is aged for at least two months in a combination of new and used American, French and Hungarian oak barrels. This is done to maintain the fresh agave flavors unique to Patrón that mingle in perfect harmony with hints of light oak. Finally, subtle sweet smokiness from the aging process adds yet another dimension to this incredibly smooth aged tequila. Sip Patrón Reposado neat or mix it into the occasional cocktail. Margaritas, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and more are enhanced with the unique flavors in the gently aged spirit. It also makes a great digestif.
Prickled Pink by Jaime Salas, National Milagro Ambassador
Ingredients:
- 2 Parts Milagro Silver
- 1 Part Fresh Lime Juice
- 2 Parts Pink Agua de Tuna**
- 3/4 Part Agave Nectar
Pour all ingredients into a Boston shaker, shake and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with a lime wheel.
**To make Agua de Tuna: Peel and roughly chop 5 prickly pear fruits (green and red), add to blender and puree until smooth. Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and pulp, discard.
Spicy Milagro Paloma by Jaime Salas, National Milagro Ambassador
Ingredients:
- 2 Parts Milagro Anejo
- 1 Part Fresh Lime Juice
- ¾ Part Agave Nectar
- Fresh Cilantro
Pour all ingredients into a Boston shaker, shake and strain over ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with a lime wheel, cilantro, smoked salt rim.
Ancho Verde Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1 part Milagro Silver Tequila
- 1 part Ancho Reyes Verde
- 1 part Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/3 part Agave Nectar
Add all ingredients to a shaker, add ice, shake hard and strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass with half its rim salted.
Garnish with a lime wheel.
Milagro Tequila (meaning ‘miracle’) is made from 100% estate-grown, hand-selected, blue agave in the town of Tepatitlan in the Jalisco region of Mexico. The agaves are harvested about 8 to 12 years after planting and the juice is extracted from the heart of the plant by roasting in clay ovens made from the estate’s volcanic soil. Milagro Tequila is triple distilled and aged longer than most tequilas to obtain its distinctive flavor.
The available expressions include Milagro Silver, Reposado, Añejo, Select Barrel Reserve Silver, Select Barrel Reserve Reposado, and Select Barrel Reserve Añejo.
Mezcal
Mezcal has become increasingly popular in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing spirits over the past several years.
Choosing the right mezcal for you may be tricky, but if you’re looking for an authentic Mexican spirit with an approachable and complex taste, look no further than Montelobos Mezcal. Made in Mexico, Montelobos Mezcal is a mezcal created in collaboration by world-renowned agave spirits expert Iván Saldaña and five generations of Lopez family mezcaleros using the finest, 100% organic agave espadin. The result is a mezcal with a balanced smoke that shifts between chili and dark chocolate. While Montelobos can be enjoyed neat, its complexity makes it an excellent cocktail companion.
A Montelobos Mezcal Ambassador, Camille Austin’s knowledge and enthusiasm for innovative cocktails play a complementary role to brand creator Iván Saldaña. Together, they set out to share the unique taste and versatility of Montelobos Mezcal and the artistry behind agave.
The below flavorful and festive cocktail recipes include Montelobos Mezcal and another authentic Mexican spirit, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur. Ancho Reyes was born from the sacred earth of Puebla and with a recipe dating back to 1927, Ancho Reyes is the original chile liqueur. Ancho Reyes Verde, launched just in 2016 to much acclaim, also derives from the poblano chile like Original, but some slight tweaks in the production process results in a wildly different flavor profile.
Puebla and poblano are inextricably linked - the peppers are named after the citizens who refer to themselves as poblanos. “Ancho chiles are widely considered a culinary delicacy and Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur is created using Puebla’s signature crop,” reports Camille Austin, the celebrated Mexican mixologist. He continues, “Pleasantly sweet, followed by the moderate heat from the chile, Ancho Reyes is delicious in all types of cocktails.
Juan to Juan
Ingredients:
Shake, serve in a coupe glass
Garnish with a lemon wheel
Montelobos Picador
Ingredients:
Combine ingredients over ice and shake well. Serve over fresh ice in a rocks glass
Garnish is a salt & black pepper rim and orange slice.
Cheers to a memorable National Tequila Day!
Milagro Tequila (meaning ‘miracle’) is made from 100% estate-grown, hand-selected, blue agave in the town of Tepatitlan in the Jalisco region of Mexico. The agaves are harvested about 8 to 12 years after planting and the juice is extracted from the heart of the plant by roasting in clay ovens made from the estate’s volcanic soil. Milagro Tequila is triple distilled and aged longer than most tequilas to obtain its distinctive flavor.
The available expressions include Milagro Silver, Reposado, Añejo, Select Barrel Reserve Silver, Select Barrel Reserve Reposado, and Select Barrel Reserve Añejo.
Mezcal
Mezcal has become increasingly popular in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing spirits over the past several years.
Choosing the right mezcal for you may be tricky, but if you’re looking for an authentic Mexican spirit with an approachable and complex taste, look no further than Montelobos Mezcal. Made in Mexico, Montelobos Mezcal is a mezcal created in collaboration by world-renowned agave spirits expert Iván Saldaña and five generations of Lopez family mezcaleros using the finest, 100% organic agave espadin. The result is a mezcal with a balanced smoke that shifts between chili and dark chocolate. While Montelobos can be enjoyed neat, its complexity makes it an excellent cocktail companion.
A Montelobos Mezcal Ambassador, Camille Austin’s knowledge and enthusiasm for innovative cocktails play a complementary role to brand creator Iván Saldaña. Together, they set out to share the unique taste and versatility of Montelobos Mezcal and the artistry behind agave.
The below flavorful and festive cocktail recipes include Montelobos Mezcal and another authentic Mexican spirit, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur. Ancho Reyes was born from the sacred earth of Puebla and with a recipe dating back to 1927, Ancho Reyes is the original chile liqueur. Ancho Reyes Verde, launched just in 2016 to much acclaim, also derives from the poblano chile like Original, but some slight tweaks in the production process results in a wildly different flavor profile.
Puebla and poblano are inextricably linked - the peppers are named after the citizens who refer to themselves as poblanos. “Ancho chiles are widely considered a culinary delicacy and Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur is created using Puebla’s signature crop,” reports Camille Austin, the celebrated Mexican mixologist. He continues, “Pleasantly sweet, followed by the moderate heat from the chile, Ancho Reyes is delicious in all types of cocktails.
Juan to Juan
Ingredients:
- 1 part Montelobos Mezcal
- 1 part Ancho Reyes Original
- ¾ part fresh lemon juice
- ½ part simple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters - or homemade bitters or Fee Brothers bitters
Shake, serve in a coupe glass
Garnish with a lemon wheel
Montelobos Picador
Ingredients:
- 2 parts Montelobos Mezcal
- 1 part fresh lime juice
- ½ part simple syrup
Combine ingredients over ice and shake well. Serve over fresh ice in a rocks glass
Garnish is a salt & black pepper rim and orange slice.
Cheers to a memorable National Tequila Day!