The Margarita may be the top cocktail at most restaurants, but there are plenty of other drinks that use tequila as well as mezcal and some of the less-known spirits from Mexico. Here are a few to try for this year to give your Cinco de Mayo celebrations some added flair.

Need some more tequila recipes to consider? Here’s a look back at our Cinco recipe picks from 2022.

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Luna Roja

Course Drinks

Keyword chile liqueur, lime, Prickly pear purée, sotol

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. Nocheluna sotol
• ½ oz. Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
• 1 oz. Prickly pear puree
• ¾ oz. Lime juice
• ¼ oz. Simple syrup

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
• Shake well.
• Fine strain into a coupe or stem glass.

Notes

The mixologists at Nocheluna created this recipe.

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Smoke on the Horizon

Course Drinks

Keyword agave, blanco tequila, lime, orange liqueur, pear, pineapple

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Blanco tequila
• 1 oz. Pear nectar
• 1 oz. Pineapple juice
• ¾ oz. Agave nectar
• 1 oz. Lime juice
• ½ oz. Orange liqueur

Instructions

• Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake.
• Pour into Collins glass with ice.
• Garnish with lime wheel.

Notes

The mixologists at ECHO restaurant in The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on Georgia’s St. Simons Island created this recipe.

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Oaxacan Revolver

Course Drinks

Keyword coffee liqueur, mezcal, tequila

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Vida mezcal
• ¾ oz. El Jimador Reposado tequila
• ¾ oz. Tia Maria coffee liqueur
• 2 dashes Orange bitters
• 2 dashes Bittermens mole bitters

Instructions

• Stir all ingredients.
• Strain over large ice cube (or serve up).
• Garnish with an orange twist.

Notes

The mixologists at Asheville Proper in Asheville, NC, created this recipe.

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Little Green

Course Drinks

Keyword Coco Lopez coconut cream, Crème de Cacao, lime, mezcal, mint, raicilla

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ oz. Mal Bien mezcal
• ¾ oz. Estancia raicilla
• ¾ oz. Coco Lopez
• ¼ oz. Lime juice
• 1 tsp. Tempus Fugit creme de cacao
• 3-4 Mint leaves

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a mixing tin and shake.
• Strain into a Double Old Fashioned glass with crushed ice.
• Garnish with mint sprig.

Notes

Mixologist Shannon Ponche created this recipe for Death & Co. in New York.

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Autumn Breeze

Course Drinks

Keyword bacanora, cloudy apple juice, honey, lemon, vermouth

Ingredients

• 1 ⅓ oz. Kilinga Bacanora Blanco
• ½ oz. Vermouth
• 1 ⅓ oz. Apple juice
• ½ oz. Lemon juice
• ¾ oz. Honey

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a mixing tin and shake.
• Strain into a coupe glass.
• Garnish with dehydrated citrus.

Notes

The mixologists at Kilinga created this recipe.

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Mexico

Course Drinks

Keyword agave, chile liqueur, corn liqueur, Mexican whiskey, mezcal, tequila

Ingredients

• ¾ oz. Arette reposado tequila
• ¾ oz. Abasolo Mexican whiskey
• ½ oz. Ojo de Tigre mezcal
• ¼ oz. Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
• ¼ oz. Nixta corn liqueur
• ¼ oz. Agave nectar
• 3 dashes Chocolate mole bitters

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in mixing tin or glass, add ice.
• Stir and strain over 1 large ice cube on a rocks glass.
• Garnish with an orange twist and grated dark chocolate.

Notes

The mixologists at Sweet Liberty in Miami created this recipe.

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Cantarito

Course Drinks

Keyword agave, blanco tequila, Grapefruit juice, grapefruit soda, lime, orange, Tajin

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Lunazul blanco tequila
• ¾ oz. Grapefruit juice
• ½ oz. Orange juice
• ½ oz. Lime juice freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp. Agave syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 3 oz. Grapefruit soda chilled.
• Tajín seasoning

Instructions

• Rim the cantarito cup (or a Collins glass) with Tajín seasoning.
• Add the tequila, juices and salt into a shaker with ice.
• Shake until well chilled.
• Strain into the prepared cup over fresh ice.
• Top with the grapefruit soda and stir gently to combine.
• Garnish with a lime wedge.

Notes

Mixologist Lynnette Marrero created this recipe.

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Fly as a Kite

Course Drinks

Keyword Batavia Arrak, cinnamon, grapefruit, grapefruit liqueur, lemon, rosewater, tequila

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Blanco tequila
• ½ oz. Giffard Pamplemousse liqueur
• ½ oz. Batavia Arrack
• ¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz. Fresh grapefruit juice
• ¾ oz. Mexican cinnamon rose water syrup*
• Mint and cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

• Add all ingredients and shake with ice.
• Serve into a Collins glass.
• Garnish with mint and a smoking cinnamon stick.

Notes

*For Mexican cinnamon rose water syrup:
3 Cinnamon sticks
32 oz. Water
48 oz. Granulated sugar
1 oz. Rose water

Toast up 3 cinnamon sticks in a saucepan on medium heat for 5 minutes (make sure to occasionally shake so it doesn’t burn). Add water and bring to a boil. Add the granulated sugar and stir till completely dissolved. Drop to a simmer for 20 minutes. Let rest for 30 minutes. Strain and add rose water.

Brandon Verkaik, bar manager at Maya in Charleston, SC, created this recipe.