Our 16 Best Tequila Cocktails

By Food & Wine
Updated May 19, 2020
From refreshing watermelon cocktails to red sangria, here are our best tequila cocktails. We've got delicious recipes for every occasion, whether you're picnicking in the park or relaxing at the beach or just hanging out t home. And don't worry—margaritas are also included.
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Red Sangrita

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In Mexico, sangrita is traditionally served well chilled and accompanied by a good tequila served neat.

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In-Sandíary

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This cocktail's name is a play on both the Spanish word for watermelon, sandía, and "incendiary," referring to the peppery tequila and the spicy ancho chile rim.

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Beat It

David Malosh
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"I've always felt tequila had a natural affinity for superearthy ingredients," says San Diego bartender Lindsay Nader, who makes this refreshing cocktail with beets. "Try not to spill, because the stain can be more perilous than red wine!" she warns.

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Punto Pomelo

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The name of this margarita-like cocktail means "the point of grapefruit," referring to mixologist Cyrus Keyhari's belief that citrus-based cocktails have an affinity for spicy food.

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Pepino’s Revenge

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Cucumber and basil are the star-ingredients in this refreshing tequila drink.

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Prickly Pear

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Bartender Brook Chisholm named this cocktail after the cacti that often grow near agave, the plant used to make tequila.

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Fiestas Patrias

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Sean Muldoon modeled the Fiestas Patrias ("patriotic holidays" in Spanish) on the Armillitta Chico, a tequila concoction made with lime, orange flower water and grenadine. He particularly likes the drink with Mexican food.

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Agave Negro

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The inspiration for this drink is the popular Asian drink bubble tea, with the round sections of blackberry (called drupelets) mimic the look of the tapioca pearls.

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Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails

JOHN KERNICK
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When watermelon is in abundance, this is a great way to use it. Bobby Flay purees seedless watermelon chunks, then strains the juice through a sieve and mixes it with silver tequila, sugar syrup, blueberries, mint and fresh lime juice.

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Añejo Manhattan

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Cocktail consultant Ryan Magarian garnishes this drink with a tequila-marinated dried cherry wrapped in a mole-spiced sausage slice.

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The Red and the Black

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A clever black pepper-infused simple syrup makes this drink taste more sophisticated than most fruity cocktails.

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Fernando's Hideaway

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Peach nectar and peach liqueur lend a nice touch of sweetness to this tequila drink.

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Jalisco Sling

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Jacques Bezuidenhout likes this fruity drink on warm summer evenings with spicy Asian food like Thai green curry.

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La Rosita

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Robert Hess, self-taught bar expert and creator of Drinkboy.com, a Web site for the cocktail-obsessed, introduced this classic to the Zig Zag bartenders.

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La Rosa

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Tart hibiscus tea gives this drink its striking rose color.

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Manzarita

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To give this tequila smash an autumnal feel, Devlin DeVore adds apple juice ("apple" is manzana in Spanish) and cinnamon.

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