There’s no time to recover from Halloween celebrations, as Día de los Muertos — or Day of the Dead — comes right after. The Mexican holiday honoring dearly departed friends and relatives is most definitely time for a cocktail, especially one made with tequila, mezcal or bacanora. Here are eight recipes we like for this year.
Frida’s Flowers
Ingredients
- 2 parts Mijenta blanco tequila
- ¾ part Strawberry or hibiscus syrup
- 1 part Fresh lime juice
- ¼ part Creme de cacao
Instructions
- Shake all ingredients vigorously with plenty of ice.
- Strain into a coupe or Martini glass.
- Garnish with edible flowers.
Notes
Mixologist Juan Coronado created this recipe.
Wake Of The Dead
Ingredients
- 4 oz. Cold-brew coffee
- 1 ½ oz. Santo Mezquila
- ½ oz. Triple sec
- ½ oz. Maple syrup
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in shaker tin.
- Shake with ice.
- Pour directly into tall glass.
- Garnish with orange and marigold.
Notes
The mixologists at Santo created this recipe.
Día de los Muertos Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 parts Hornitos plata or reposado tequila
- 1 part Orange juice
- ½ part Lime juice
- ¾ part Honey syrup
Instructions
- Put equal parts salt and chili powder on a plate.
- Use an orange or lime wedge to wet the rim of the glass, and gently roll it into the salt/chili powder.
- Combine cocktail ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake and strain into your rimmed rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange wheel and edible marigold.
Notes
The mixologists at Hornitos created this recipe.
Pink Moon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Astral Tequila Blanco
- 1 ½ oz. Fresh grapefruit juice
- ½ oz. Fresh lime juice
- ½ oz. Cinnamon-agave syrup
Instructions
- Prep a rocks glass with a salt rim and fill with ice.
- Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice.
- Shake and strain into the ice-filled rocks glass.
- Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Notes
The mixologists at Astral created this recipe.
Doña Katrina
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ oz. Kilinga Bacanora Blanco
- 2 oz. Beet juice
- 1 ⅓ oz. Spicy infusion*
- 1 piece Pineapple
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a shaker tin, add ice and shake.
- Pour into a frosted talavera (or crystal) glass with ice.
- Garnish with dehydrated pineapple and chili.
Notes
*For Spicy infusion: Add 30 g Chile de Árbol and 30 g Chile Moritas to a liter of water. Leave on low heat until it boils. Once the mixture is boiling, turn off the heat and let it stand until cool. Once cool, pour the content into a glass container and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
The mixologists at Kilinga created this recipe.
Meet Me At The Altar
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Cítrico citrus gin
- 1 oz. Nativo herbal gin
- 1 oz. Lemon
- ¾ oz. Ofrenda orgeat*
- 1 dash Absinthe
- 1 dash Mole bitters
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in tin and shake with ice.
- Double strain into coupe glass.
- Garnish with micro flowers or marigold petals.
Notes
*Ofrenda Orgeat: 1 part Day old Pan de Muertos, 2 parts Marigold Tea, 2 parts sugar. Blend until emulsified.
The mixologists at Las Californias created this recipe.
Quicksand
Ingredients
- 2 parts Del Maguey Vida Single Village Mezcal
- 1 part Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
- 1 part Maurin Quina
- 4 dashes Orange bitters per serving
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a wide swath of orange peel.
Notes
The mixologists at Del Maguey created this recipe.
Dark Soul
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ oz. Kilinga Bacanora Silvestre
- 1 oz. Agave syrup or simple syrup
- ¾ oz. Lime juice
- 1 ½ oz. Grapefruit juice
- ½ tbsp. Activated charcoal
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a mixing tin and shake.
- Pour into an Old Fashioned glass with ice.
- Garnish with salt rim and dehydrated grapefruit.
Notes
The mixologists at Kilinga created this recipe.