Spirits Tequila 16 Tequila Cocktails Every Home Bartender Should Make Whether you're feeling a sweet or savory cocktail, tequila is likely the answer. By Oset Babür-Winter Oset Babür-Winter Instagram Twitter Title: Senior Drinks Editor, Food & WineLocation: New York CityExperience: Oset Babür-Winter has completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust's (WSET) Level 3 Award in wines and was previously the magazine's associate culture editor, where she edited Obsessions. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 10, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon While we love a good sipping tequila, there's something to be said for pairing this classic agave-based spirit with simple ingredients like orange juice and grenadine to make a show-stopping Tequila Sunrise, or picking up a bottle of Cointreau and some jalapeño peppers to whip up a Spicy Margarita. Tequila is incredibly versatile, and can shape-shift into the perfect, boozy base for sweet and savory cocktails alike. Read on for 16 of the best tequila cocktails that are easy enough for home bartenders of any level to make, and will surely please a crowd (or, at the very least, take the edge off of a particularly taxing work week). 01 of 16 Spicy Margarita Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon How do you make the most famous, classic tequila cocktail even better? Add a jalapeño pepper. Go to Recipe 02 of 16 Ranch Rosé Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Chandra Ram Ranch Water, a refreshing concoction of tequila, fresh lime juice, and sparkling water, is a tequila highball said to have been created by cattle ranchers in West Texas in the early 1960s. The addition of a splash of the French aperitif Lillet Rosé to this cocktail lends it gentle floral flavor notes and a pink hue, while the blood orange syrup adds more sweetness and tart citrus notes, not to mention a striking boost of color. Go to Recipe 03 of 16 Honey Trap Honey Trap cocktail. GUILLERMO RIVEROS Smoky, sweet, tart, and pleasantly warming, the Honey Trap is the perfect autumnal cocktail for a tequila lover. Go to Recipe 04 of 16 Here Comes the Sun Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Piquant heat from tequila infused with fresh jalapeño and Aperol infused with fresh Thai chiles is rounded out by sweet prickly pear syrup in this Bloody Mary recipe. Go to Recipe 05 of 16 Long Island Iced Tea Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon With four spirits and one liqueur, the Long Island Iced Tea is not a cocktail for the faint of heart. Go to Recipe 06 of 16 Tequila Sunrise Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Is it summer yet? We're ready, and so is this Tequila Sunrise cocktail, which calls for three ingredients and a chill mindset. Go to Recipe 07 of 16 Verbena-Infused Tequila and Tonic Aubrie Pick This fresh cocktail balances light citrus and herbal notes from the infused syrupwith bubbly club soda and smooth, blanco tequila. Substitute gin for a more prominent botanical flavor. Go to Recipe 08 of 16 Salt Air Margarita © Tina Rupp Chef José Andrés uses Sucro, a powdered emulsifier beloved by avant-garde chefs, to make the salty foam topping. Go to Recipe 09 of 16 Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails © John Kernick 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. Go to Recipe 10 of 16 Añejo Manhattan © Frances Janisch Cocktail consultant Ryan Magarian garnishes this drink with a tequila-marinated dried cherry wrapped in a mole-spiced sausage slice. Go to Recipe 11 of 16 Gingerbread Margarita Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis This winter margarita has a warm, cozy, cake-spice panache that wouldn't be out of place at a holiday party. The spiced syrup is key: It intensifies the orange flavors of the cocktail while adding a seasonal spice hit that brings much-needed warmth during the winter months. Go to Recipe 12 of 16 Fernando's Hideaway Peach nectar and peach liqueur lend a nice touch of sweetness to this tequila drink. Go to Recipe 13 of 16 Grilled Pineapple Tequila Punch Greg Dupree In this Grilled Pineapple–Tequila Punch, the sweet and smoky notes of grilled pineapple meld deliciously with tequila, Ancho Reyes Verde (a spicy, crisp poblano liqueur), and splashes of pineapple and lime juices. Go to Recipe 14 of 16 La Rosita 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. Go to Recipe 15 of 16 La Rosa Tart hibiscus tea gives this drink its striking rose color. Go to Recipe 16 of 16 Paloma Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Judy Haubert Fresh grapefruit juice is the star of this Paloma cocktail that was served at Jimmy's (now closed) in Aspen, CO. Shaken with flavorful reposado tequila, a squeeze of lime, and lots of ice, the drink is topped with splashes of lemon-lime and club sodas for a not-too-sweet version that is sure to refresh. Go to Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit