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  4. Our 16 Best Tequila Cocktails

Our 16 Best Tequila Cocktails

By Food & Wine Updated May 19, 2020
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Pepino’s Revenge
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

Red Sangrita.
Credit: © Tina Rupp
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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

In-Sandíary
Credit: © Wendell T. Webber
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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

Beat It
Credit: 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

Punto Pomelo
Credit: © Earl Carter
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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.

  • Margarita Recipes

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Pepino’s Revenge

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

Prickly Pear, Maduro • Madison, WI
Credit: © Tina Rupp
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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

Fiestas Patrias
Credit: © Tina Rupp
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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

Agave Negro, Social Hollywood, Los Angeles
Credit: © Tina Rupp
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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

Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails
Credit: © 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

Añejo Manhattan, Suite 410, Seattle
Credit: © Frances Janisch
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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

The Red and the Black
Credit: © Zubin Schroff
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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

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

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

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

La Rosa
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Tart hibiscus tea gives this drink its striking rose color.

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Manzarita

Manzarita
Credit: © Wendell T. Webber
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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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    1 of 16 Red Sangrita
    2 of 16 In-Sandíary
    3 of 16 Beat It
    4 of 16 Punto Pomelo
    5 of 16 Pepino’s Revenge
    6 of 16 Prickly Pear
    7 of 16 Fiestas Patrias
    8 of 16 Agave Negro
    9 of 16 Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails
    10 of 16 Añejo Manhattan
    11 of 16 The Red and the Black
    12 of 16 Fernando's Hideaway
    13 of 16 Jalisco Sling
    14 of 16 La Rosita
    15 of 16 La Rosa
    16 of 16 Manzarita

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