National Tequila Day: Three cocktails to celebrate
Celebrated every year on the 24th of July, National Tequila Day is officially upon us!
Whether you’re stocking your office drinks cart or elevating your home bar this weekend, simplicity is key.
Long gone are the days when we only had a handful of tequilas or mezcals to choose from on the supermarket shelves.
Today, drinkers have access to a wide range of top-rated tequilas from the heart of Mexico, including Ocho Plata, Espolòn Blanco, and Patrón Reposado, to name a few.
El Mayor Tequila, handcrafted in Arandas, Mexico, by fourth-generation Master Distiller Graciela Gonzalez, is a relative newcomer to the UK, but the brand is steeped in heritage.
Produced at Destiladora Gonzalez Lux using 100 per cent estate-grown Blue Weber agave, water, and heirloom yeast, the family’s process has been refined over 150 years of production. It’s one of those tequilas that can be drunk either by itself or with a simple mixer.
If you’re feeling a little more experimental, here are three simple cocktails to make the most of whichever tequila you choose and make the most of National Tequila Day.
Three tequila cocktails for National Tequila Day
The Aperitivo Upgrade: Sparkling Paloma
While the Margarita gets the headline act, the Paloma is the true king of summer sipping. Using a Reposado rested in oak for nine months adds rich notes of vanilla and warm spice that hold up effortlessly against effervescent grapefruit and Spanish bubbles.
- 50ml Tequila
- 50ml Grapefruit Soda
- 50ml Cava
Method: Build over fresh ice in a balloon glass and garnish with a curl of fresh grapefruit peel.
The Twilight Twist: Blueberry Margarita
For a sleeker, slightly fruit-forward take on the classic, swap heavy orange liqueurs for a tart berry syrup. The crisp, clean agave notes of an unaged Blanco keep it remarkably bright and dangerously drinkable.
- 50ml Tequila
- 20ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 20ml Blueberry Syrup
Method: Hard shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Optional: salt rim and three frozen blueberries to garnish.
The After-Hours Sip: The Albatross
A tequila-led homage to the Old Fashioned. An Añejo aged between 18 to 36 months in white oak offers the deep sophistication usually reserved for fine bourbon, with lingering notes of caramel, tropical fruit, and toasted oak.
- 50ml El Mayor Añejo Tequila
- 1 Demerara Sugar Cube
- 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Method: Muddle the sugar cube and bitters in a mixing glass, stir down with the tequila and ice, then strain into a heavy-bottomed rocks glass over a single large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.