Booze Clues: 5 Cinco de Mayo Drinks that Aren't Margaritas

Because You Had Margaritas Last Week

FACT: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico's Independence Day (that's September 16th). It is also NOT National Margarita Day (though it may seem like it). Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the battle of Puebla in 1862. Also, we Americans have made a mockery of the day in various ways (as we do with most holidays, especially if we can use them as an excuse to get hammered... St. Paddy's day, here's to lookin' at you.). This HuffPo video actually explains that many of the ways we celebrate are actually a bit offensive. Yikes! 

Now that we all feel a little guilty, let's sip a few of those woes away. You do know the margarita isn't the only Mexican-inspired cocktail out there, right? Consider the paloma, michelada, or even one of your favorite cocktails with tequila replacing the usual spirit. We've rounded up a few cocktail ideas to get your ideas flowing.  

Herradura Paloma (An Easy Switch if you REALLY love margaritas)

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz Tequila Herradura Silver

5 oz grapefruit juice (or Spiked Seltzer Indian River Grapefruit)

1 oz Lemon juice and salt

METHOD:

In a big ball glass put the ice and Tequila Herradura. Add salt, lemon juice and grapefruit juice (or Siked Seltzer).

Mexican Martini -Created by Garrett Flanagan for El Original (If you're into dirty martinis)

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 oz. Lime Juice

1.5 oz. Simple Syrup

3 oz. Tequila

0.5 oz. Olive Juice

METHOD:

Shake with ice, pour into martini glass, garnish with olives and enjoy!

SX Honey Bee -Featured on the menu of Bodega Negra in NYC

INGREDIENTS:

2oz SXchachacha

.25oz Mezcal

Fresh Lemon Juice

Honey

Lavender Bitters

METHOD:

Blend SXchachacha, mezcal, lemon and honey over ice. Shake. Pour into large rocks glass. Add a dash of lavender bitters.

Altos Anejo Manhattan -Created by Charles Joly

INGREDIENTS:

2 parts Altos Añejo

1 part Carpano Antica® vermouth

2 dashes of bitters

METHOD:
Blend ingredients and stir over ice. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with orange peel and serve straight up.

Succotash’s Gochujang Michelada

INGREDIENTS:
6 oz Dominion Candi (Belgian style tripel) or beer of your choice
1.5 oz Gochujang michelada mix (see below)

METHOD:
Use a lime wedge to moisten the rim of a glass halfway around. Place a mixture of equal parts Korean chili flakes and Kosher salt on the half moistened rim. Fill the glass with ice. Add the michelada mix. Top with the beer, and stir 3-4 times to evenly distribute all ingredients. Garnish with a straw and a lime wheel.

Gochujang Michelada Mix Ingredients (yields 7 micheladas):
2 oz Chung Jung One’s Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce
1.5 oz Crystal Hot Sauce
5 oz Fresh lime juice
1.25 oz Fresh orange juice
0.5 oz Worcestershire sauce
0.5 oz Old Forester Bourbon
0.25 oz Honey
Preparation:
Add all of the ingredients into a pint-sized container. Mix thoroughly. Store in the cooler when not in use. Shelf life: two days.

* Mango Habanero Margarita -Available at Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar in NYC (A bonus because some people just love margaritas)

INGREDIENTS:

1 ¾ parts Milagro Silver tequila

¾ parts Orange Curacao

1 part mango puree – Perfect Puree

1 part scratch sour mix

2 slices fresh habanero

4 drops Bitterman's Hellfire Habanero Shrub - available at Tommy Bahama

METHOD:

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice and shake with a Boston shaker to blend. Pour into salt rimmed double rocks glass and top with 2 slices of habanero.

Will you be trying any of these for Cinco de Mayo? Do you have your own special cocktail for the holiday? Still totally stuck on margaritas? (We won't judge.) Let us know in the comments.

Booze Clues: 5 Cinco de Mayo Sippers

Party! Fiesta! Forever! 

It's Cinco de Mayo, which has basically become "Cinco de Drinko" in the US. (FYI: Cinco de Mayo does NOT commemorate Mexico's Independence. Instead, it celebrates the Mexican army's unlikely 1862 defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla.) While some will enjoy drinks at their favorite bars, others will keep things a little more lowkey and toast at home.  If you're among the latter group, here are some drinks you might want to try (don't worry. They're not all margaritas):

Riazul Plata “Nuevo Manhattan” – created by Leo Robitschek

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ oz Riazul Plata Tequila

½ oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth

½ oz Punt e Mes

½ oz Combier Orange Liqueur

½ oz Nonino Amaro

3 Dashes Angostura Bitters

METHOD:

Stir and Strain into a coupe

Victory- Available at Toca Madera, Hollywood:

INGREDIENTS:

Throw 10-12 leaves of fresh mint in highball

.75oz lime juice 

.25 simple syrup

.5 oz Ancho Reyes Liqueur

1.5 oz Herradura Silver Tequila

METHOD:

Build ingredients in tin. Shake and strain into highball. Top off with ice. Add four dashes of the chile arbol infused Peychaud bitters. Garnish with mint sprig. 

Petal Pistol from Lock & Key Social Drinkery (Named the best margarita in LA)

INGREDIENTS:

1oz Blanco tequila

.5oz hibiscus infused apple jack

1oz Cointreau

.75 lime

.25 simple syrup

1 dash Aztec chocolate bitters

METHOD:

Salt the rim of a rocks glass. Build ingredients over Tajun Ice.

For those counting calories: 

Parrot Bay Margarita with Coconut Water

Refrigerate can of Parrot Bay Margarita. Serve over ice. (150 calories)

2 Skinny Drunks Classic Margarita

INGREDIENTS:

2 Ounces 2 Skinny Drunks Premium Organic Margarita Mix (45 calories) buy HERE

1 Ounce Premium Tequila

METHOD:

Shake ingredients with ice. Pour over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime. 

Fun Friday- Taylor Says Pumps and Pomegranate Margaritas

Yours. Mine. Ours!!!

Say it with me... Let's claim it together. Armed with resolutions, mantras, new planners and refreshed goals, we're ready to take on this puzzling thing called life. Your NYE hangover has been cured just in time for the freakin' weekend. What better shoe to express your current mood than one like this James Pump by Taylor Says, with its crossword puzzle print and filled-in words like "moxie," "art" and "babe" (because you're a total babe, and you know it). Oh... that puzzle print covers the outsole, too. Yay.

Taylor Says James Pumps: available at heels.com
V-neck sweatshirt: available at hm.com 
Blank Denim Skinny Boyfriend Jeans: available at piperlime.com
"This is my year" quote: found on Pinterest. Linked to La Dolce Vita blog

There may not be a better drink than a margarita to welcome the weekend. Since it's a new year, we're all thinking healthier thoughts, so why not try one that includes a superfruit? This Pomegranate Margarita we found on the blog at Threadsence.com looks pretty tasty. It's a concoction by Jessica of How Sweet it Is. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 ounces Grand Marnier

1 1/2 ounces Tequila
2 ounces pomegranate juice
2 ounce lime juice
1 1/2 ounces simple syrup
coarse salt for the rim
lime + pomegranate arils for garnish

Directions:

For simple syrup: combine equal parts sugar and water, bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve, then turn off heat and let cool completely.

Rim the ridge of your glass with a lime wedge and dip in margarita salt. Fill the glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, grand marnier, pom juice, simple syrup and lime juice with ice, and shake for about 30 seconds. Pour over ice and squeeze in extra lime slices. Add some pomegranate arils for decoration.

Fine Print: courtesy photos. Cocktail image via Threadsence.