Cinco de Mayo is finally here! The May 5 holiday technically commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. today is all about celebrating Mexican culture and heritage, and what better way to do that than with a themed cocktail.
Here are a few recipes for drinks to help you get your Cinco on.
Mango Chilli Caipiroska
1 ½ oz. Ultimat vodka
2 Muddled lime wedges
Splash of fresh mango puree
Splash of simple syrup
3-4 Drops sariacha
Shaken with ice and serve in a highball glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
The mixologists at Prime 112 in Miami Beach developed this recipe.
Smokey Gonzales
1 oz. De Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1 oz. Tequila 3 Anejo
½ oz. Apricot liquor
½ oz. Ginger syrup (recipe below)
1 oz. Pear juice
1 oz. Laphroaig wash
Shake all ingredients vigorously, strain into a rocks glass with a large (2″ x 2″) ice cube Garnish with an orange peel.
Ginger syrup:
1 3-inch Ginger root peeled and diced
2 Cups water
2 Cups sugar
Bring all ingredients to boil. Set aside and let cool.
Jose Andres, chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup in Washington DC, created this cocktail.
Garden to Glass Margarita
1 ½ oz. Patrón Silver
¾ oz. Patrón Citrónge
2 Fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
2 Ripe strawberries, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
½ oz. Fresh lime juice
1 Whole strawberry for garnish
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, gently muddle the basil to release oils and aroma. Add strawberries, and muddle again, to release the juices. Add Patrón Silver, Patrón Citrónge, lime juice and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with strawberry sliced halfway through and perched on the glass rim.
The mixologists at Patrón developed this recipe.
Buenas Noches
1 ¼ oz. 1800 Reposado
¼ oz. Dark creme de cacao
¼ oz. Kahlua
¼ oz. Grand Marnier
Margarita salt (enough to rim a glass)
Sugar (enough to rim a glass)
Rim a rocks glass with salt/sugar mixture and fill with ice. Combine spirits in shaker with ice. Stir lightly and strain into glass. Garnish with lime wedge.
Andy Friedrich, a bartender at the Bristol Bar and Grille in Lousiville, KY, created this drink recipe.
Pineapple Serrano Margarita
2 oz. Herradura Silver
3 Cubic inches of diced pineapple
¾ oz. Lime juice
½ oz. Simple syrup
3 Slices of Serrano chili with seeds
Crush pineapple and chili slices in the base of a shaker with a muddler. Add cubed ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake hard and strain over ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a chili and a star Anise pod.
Carrot Cilantro Collins
1½ oz. Herradura Silver
¼ oz. Cholula hot sauce
½ oz. Lemon juice
2 oz. Carrot juice
Large pinch of cilantro
Place all ingredients into a shaker filled with cubed ice, shake vigorously and strain through a fine sieve into a tall glass filled with cubed ice. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and a cucumber wheel.
Herradura Vesuvio
2 oz. Herradura Silver
¾ oz. Red pepper juice
½ oz. Lime juice
¼ oz. Cholula hot sauce
¼ oz. Agave nectar
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Rim a coupe glass with cayenne pepper and salt mix. Shake hard and pour into the chilled coupe glass.
The mixologists at Herradura tequila contributed these three recipes.
The Pink Fiesta
1 ½ oz. Belvedere vodka
½ oz. Almond syrup
½ oz. Lemon juice
1 oz. Pink grapefruit juice
Fever Tree tonic
Shake and pour over ice. Top with Fever Tree tonic. Garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge.
The Palomino
1½ oz. Belvedere Unfiltered
¾ oz. Medium/dry sherry
½ oz. Dolin Dry
Stir all ingredients over cubed ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig
The mixolgists at Belvedere vodka created these two recipes.
Carbonated Margarita
(makes 6 to 7 drinks)
6 ½ oz. Cointreau
13 oz. Blanco Tequila
6 ½ oz. fresh lime juice, strained
6 ½ oz. cold water, filtered
Prepare batch in a large container and funnel into a siphon. Charge with CO2 and keep on ice or in a refrigerator. Serve over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Cointreau master mixologist Kyle Ford developed this recipe.
Avión Iced Espresso
1 part Avión Espresso
1 part Italian Espresso
1 part soda water
Pour ingredients into a high ball glass over ice and stir. Serve with or without milk; garnish with espresso beans.
The mixologists at Tequila Avión created this recipe.
Baja Bloody
2 oz. Hotel California Tequila Blanco
4 oz. tomato juice
2 oz. fresh orange juice
1 oz. lime juice
1 tsp. horseradish
Dash Tabasco
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Combine with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into ice-filled pint glass.
The mixolgists at Hotel California Tequila created this recipe.
Diablo’s Elbow
¾ oz. Illegal mezcal
¾ oz. Espolon silver tequila
⅓ oz. Yellow Chartreuse
¾ oz. Chili Fresno syrup
¾ oz. Lemon juice
Red bell pepper
4 Drops chili essence
Muddle red bell pepper in mixing glass. Add ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into coupe glass and add chili essence.
The mixologists at Galli in New York submitted this recipe.