Too many people are scared of tequila. For some the name alone elicits a face-contorting reaction, and trying to sell a tequila drink to an unseasoned drinker usually ends with a “oh no, that’s way too harsh for me!” That same person will then order Jack Daniels or something equally debasing, and shoot it straight. How do people arrive at a shot of whiskey being less harsh than a tequila cocktail? Something has gone horribly wrong here.

The worm myth has been debunked and José isn’t the only guy at the party anymore, so why the fear? A flood of delicious tequila has been streaming over the border for years now at an exponentially increasing rate, and yet it’s one of the most neglected spirits in the cocktail world. We recently re-tasted all of the delicious Herradura tequilas (blanco, reposado, and añejo, respectively) and it got us thinking. Everyone will drink a margarita, right? It’s the tequila gateway drug, a glass of salty, limey deliciousness. Why stop there? It’s okay to stray from vodka, it will always be there for you to jump back into bed with if you get too scared, we promise. Try a little tequila with us… you can tell vodka you were going through an “experimental” phase.

Below are some classics we stirred up, substituting tequila for the base liquor. For quality assurance, we taste tested each and every one (and enjoyed every minute of it!) A purist might turn up his nose at a cocktail that wasn’t created with the spirit in mind, but we found these cocktails to be differently delicious with their substitutions.

If you find your own classic that you want to share, let us know! We are always interested in new ways to drink the agave spirit. If these don’t have you running for the hills, try any of the Herradura tequilas straight: we suggest the añejo over a bit of ice. Lovely.

Tequila Manhattan
The only tweak is the orange bitters. We liked it better than Angostura in this case.

3 oz Herradura Añejo
3/4 oz Dolin Rouge
3 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass.

Cadáver Reanimador Numero Dos
(Corpse Reviver #2)

1 oz Herradura Blanco
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz Cocchi Americano (or Lillet, if that’s on hand)
1 oz Cointreau
3 drops of absinthe

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a de-stemmed cherry.

Jimador Punch
(Planter’s Punch)

2 oz Herradura Reposado
1 tsp sugar (we used Demerara, because we like it better)
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz orange juice
1 splash of grenadine

Shake all ingredients with crushed ice and pour un-strained into a pint glass (or similar). Garnish with a slice of lemon, lime and orange.

Cheers!

Want to know more about tequila? We know a little, read this.

cocktails recipes Tequila