Tequila cocktails
8 classic recipes from our canon that use tequila — Tequila sits in our spirits shelf.
Margarita
Bright, salty and bracing — the benchmark every other sour is measured against.
Ingredients
- ◆50 ml blanco tequila
- ◆20 ml triple sec
- ◆15 ml lime juice
Method
- 1Rim a chilled coupe with salt if you like.
- 2Shake all ingredients hard with ice for 12 seconds.
- 3Double-strain into the glass.
PRO TIP
Use fresh lime juice only — bottled juice flattens the whole drink.
Garnish — Lime wheel
Paloma
Tequila, grapefruit and lime over soda — Mexico's everyday drink, lighter than a Margarita.
Ingredients
- ◆50 ml blanco tequila
- ◆60 ml grapefruit juice
- ◆15 ml lime juice
- ◆to top club soda
Method
- 1Build tequila, grapefruit and lime over ice in a salted highball.
- 2Top with club soda.
- 3Stir once gently.
PRO TIP
A pinch of salt in the drink, not just the rim, sharpens the grapefruit.
Garnish — Grapefruit wedge and salt rim
Long Island Iced Tea
Five spirits, lemon and a splash of cola — no tea, all trouble.
Ingredients
- ◆15 ml vodka
- ◆15 ml gin
- ◆15 ml white rum
- ◆15 ml tequila
- ◆15 ml triple sec
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆30 ml simple syrup
- ◆to top cola
Method
- 1Shake everything except the cola with ice.
- 2Strain into an ice-filled highball.
- 3Top with cola for colour and a touch of sweetness.
PRO TIP
The cola is what gives it the iced-tea look — there's no actual tea in it.
Garnish — Lemon wedge
Tommy's Margarita
Tequila, lime and agave — a Margarita stripped to three honest ingredients.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml blanco tequila
- ◆30 ml lime juice
- ◆30 ml agave syrup
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
PRO TIP
Agave instead of orange liqueur keeps the tequila front and centre.
Garnish — Lime wheel
Tequila Sunrise
Tequila and orange juice with a sinking grenadine sunrise — pure 1970s nostalgia.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml tequila
- ◆90 ml orange juice
- ◆15 ml grenadine
Method
- 1Build tequila and orange juice over ice in a highball.
- 2Slowly drizzle grenadine down the inside so it sinks.
- 3Leave the gradient unstirred.
PRO TIP
Don't stir after the grenadine — the sunrise is the point.
Garnish — Orange slice and cherry
Grand Margarita
A Margarita built on Grand Marnier — deeper, more orange-forward and a touch richer.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml blanco tequila
- ◆30 ml grand marnier
- ◆15 ml lime juice
Method
- 1Salt the rim of a rocks glass.
- 2Shake all ingredients hard with ice for 10 seconds.
- 3Strain into the glass over ice.
PRO TIP
Grand Marnier swaps the triple sec for a cognac-based orange depth.
Garnish — Salt rim and lime slice
Oaxaca Old Fashioned
Reposado and mezcal sweetened with agave — a smoky, modern take on the original.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml reposado tequila
- ◆15 ml mezcal
- ◆5 ml agave syrup
- ◆2 dashes mole bitters
Method
- 1Stir all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass.
- 3Flame an orange peel over the top.
PRO TIP
The mezcal is a seasoning, not the base — a little smoke goes far.
Garnish — Flamed orange peel
El Diablo
Tequila and blackcurrant over spicy ginger beer — dark red, long and lively.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml reposado tequila
- ◆15 ml creme de cassis
- ◆15 ml lime juice
- ◆to top ginger beer
Method
- 1Build tequila, cassis and lime over ice in a highball.
- 2Top with ginger beer.
- 3Stir once gently.
PRO TIP
Spicy ginger beer plays off the sweet cassis.
Garnish — Lime wheel
You can also use
Common substitutions that interchange with tequila in these drinks.
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