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. Here's how to make the best tequila cocktails that are easy enough for home bartenders of any level and will likely please a crowd (or, at the very least, take the edge off of a particularly taxing work week).
Spicy Margarita
How do you make the most famous, classic tequila cocktail even better? Add a jalapeño pepper.
Classic Margarita
The Margarita is one of the most riffed-upon classic cocktails out there, but at its core, this simple drink calls for blanco tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau orange liqueur.
Margherita
This Italian variation on a Margarita from Don Angie in New York calls for reposado tequila and channels Sicily with fennel and blood oranges.
Tequila Mocking Goat
Lime, chiles, cilantro, and ginger set this tequila cocktail apart from the rest.
Ranch Rosé
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.
Honey Trap
Smoky, sweet, tart, and pleasantly warming, the Honey Trap is the perfect autumnal cocktail for a tequila lover.
Here Comes the Sun
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.
Apple Cider Margarita
Apples and tequila might sound like an odd couple, but it turns out that they’re the dynamic duo your taste buds never knew they needed.
Cinnamon & Tequila
It’s rare to see tequila in a hot drink, but pairing the spirit with cinnamon and ginger makes this winter tipple special.
Tequila Sunrise
Is it summer yet? We're ready, and so is this Tequila Sunrise cocktail, which calls for three ingredients and a chill mindset.
Guava Goddess
If you love Aperol, tequila, and making drinks for a crowd, this batch-friendly cocktail is for you.
Verbena-Infused Tequila and Tonic
This fresh cocktail balances light citrus and herbal notes from the infused syrup with bubbly club soda and smooth blanco tequila.
Palmonic
We're huge boosters of the Paloma — a drink that, in its simplest form, is just grapefruit soda and tequila, although we're prone to dress it up with fresh juice. So it's a little surprising it's taken us this long to try it with tonic.
Chipilo Cocktail
This bright, tequila-based aperitif is perfect for your next dinner party.
Grilled Pineapple Tequila Punch
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.
Montego Slay
This bright tequila cocktail from one of NYC's top cocktail bars is surprisingly easy to make at home.
Pomegranate Margarita
This sweet-and-sour Margarita has a tart kick from the pomegranate juice and a vibrant red color.
Paloma
Fresh grapefruit juice is the star of this Paloma cocktail that was served at Jimmy's (now closed) in Aspen, Colorado. 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.
Tequila-Watermelon Aguas Frescas with Prosecco
In this refreshing cocktail, Prosecco adds a lively spritz to a light, watermelon-forward Margarita. If you happen to have a juicer on hand, you can certainly use it here.
Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails
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.
Gingerbread Margarita
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.