July 24th is National Tequila Day, so we’ve got things ready to get you through all the tequilabration. Sure you can mix up a margarita today, or take a spin with one of the more unique cocktails we’ve got for you today. Others are more intriguing riffs on traditional cocktails. In other words, a little something for everyone.

If you’re hungry, try out the eye-catching strawberry margarita appetizer and use our tequila barbecue sauce, either out on the grill or in the slow cooker.

Spicy Carrot Margarita
This is a mashup of a carrot margarita and a Mad Carrot from Playa Provisions
1 cup unrefined cane sugar1 cup water
1 bunch fresh cilantro (about 1/2 oz.)
1 cup 100% agave silver tequila
1 medium jalapeño
3 oz. fresh carrot juice
1 1/2 ounces jalapeño-infused tequila
1 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. Triple Sec or Contreau
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 oz. cilantro syrup
¼ oz. ginger syrup
limes

Combine the carrot juice, tequila, orange juice, Cointreau, lime juice, and cilantro syrup in a cocktail shaker and fill halfway with ice. Close and shake until thoroughly chilled, about 15 to 20 shakes. Strain into a rocks glass filled halfway with fresh ice, add a pinch of salt (if using), garnish with a lime, and serve.

For the cilantro simple syrup:
Bring the water and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar then remove from heat. Add the cilantro and let steep until the syrup tastes like cilantro, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, make the jalapeño tequila.

For the jalapeno tequila:
First broil or grill the jalapeños until charred and soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle then cut off the stem and chop the remaining jalapeño. If you want it less spicy, don’t include the seeds or white ribs in the jalapeño. Let the jalapeño soak in the tequila for at least 1 hour. Depending on the heat level you like, you can either leave the jalapeño in the tequila or strain it off and discard it.

Cocada
created by Milagro Tequila National Ambassador Jaime Salas
1 1/2 parts Milagro Añejo tequila
3/4 part fresh lime juice
1/2 part coconut cream (to lighten this cocktail up, try using coconut water rather than cream)
1 part Tepache
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Add all ingredients to a Boston shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple leaf.

How to Ferment Tepache:
Cut 1 pineapple (with skin, top, and bottom trimmed) into 1-inch pieces. Combine with 2 cups of brown sugar and 8 cups of warm water into an airtight container. Leave in a warm, draft-free area for 2-3 days. You’ll know the tepache is ready when the sugars are dissolved and the liquid is slightly fizzing. Strain the mixture and refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours) before serving.

Tequila Coffee
created by Elijah Barnes, Saint Louis
1 ½ parts Tres Agaves Blanco tequila
½ part Tres Agaves Cocktail-Ready Organic Agave Nectar
1 part coffee liqueur
½ part bourbon
½ part apricot liqueur
coffee beans (garnish)
sugar (garnish)

First make the Coffee-Sugar garnish: Crush 5-6 coffee beans with a muddler. Add sugar and stir. Next, rim a chilled cocktail glass with the Coffee-Sugar garnish. Combine your liquid ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain the cocktail into your glass and enjoy!

Golden Dragon
courtesy of the Bonneville Cocktail Collection
Apple juice
½ oz. lime cordial
¾ oz. Pisang Ambon (If you use an alternate banana flavored liqueur, make sure it doesn’t have cream in it or that will curdle.)
½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. passion fruit syrup
1 ¾ oz. reposado tequila

Build into a highball glass. Cap shake with ice. Top with ice and more apple juice. Toss in a cherry or a lime wedge to garnish.

Bond Street Saketila
Courtesy of BONDST restaurant, NYC
2 oz. Avión Tequila Silver or Reposado
1 oz. Honjozo style sake
1/8 oz. agave simple syrup (1 part water and 1 part agave nectar)
fresh orange slice

Combine in shaker, shake vigorously, double strain. Serve neat or on the rocks garnish with an orange peel.

Grilled Grapefruit Paloma
2 parts Hornitos Plata tequila
1 part fresh lime juice
¾ part ginger sage syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
top with grapefruit beer (appx. 1 part)
grapefruit
sage sprigs

Combine equal parts sugar and water with 1 ginger slice and 4 sage sprigs and bring to a boil to create ginger sage syrup. Allow the mixture to cool, combine all ingredients except grapefruit beer in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with ice and top with grapefruit beer. Garnish with a grilled grapefruit slice.

Strawbanero Margarita for 6
by Tastemade
3 cups sliced strawberries, plus 6 slices for garnish
2 habañero peppers, stemmed and seeded
4 Tbsp. simple syrup
1 1/2 cups tequila
1/2 cup triple sec
1/2 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. salt

Combine chili powder and salt. Set aside. In a blender, add sliced strawberries, habañeros and simple syrup. Blend until smooth. In a large jar or pitcher with a lid, add ice, tequila, triple sec, lime juice and strawberry habañero mixture. Put on the lid and shake until well combined. Rub the edge of a glass with a lime, then dip into the chili salt mixture. Add ice, and then pour in the strawberry habañero margarita mixture. Garnish with strawberry slice and lime wedge. Drink up with five friends!

Loaded Michelada
1 oz. Cazadores Blanco tequila
2 oz. sweet and sour mix
½ oz. fresh lime juice
4 dashes of Tapatio or Valentina hot sauce
4 dashes of Tajin seasoning
top with Mexican beer

Combine all ingredients except the beer in a shaker. Pour into a rocks in a glass rimmed with Tajin seasoning and top off with the beer before serving.

White Sangria
1 ½ oz. Casamigos Blanco tequila
1 1/2 oz. white wine (suggest sauvignon blanc)
1 oz. simple syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. orange juice
2 pineapple chunks or 1/4 oz. pineapple juice
2 mango slices

Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker and muddle fruit. Add ice and shake vigorously for 6-8 seconds. Fine strain into wine glass and add block ice. Garnish with large thin mango slice and thyme sprig.

Peach Margarita
2 parts silver tequila
1 ½ parts peach schnapps
1 lime, juiced
½ cup peach nectar
thyme or a peach slice for garnish

Fill glasses with ice. Shake all liquid ingredients in a shaker. Pour over ice. Garnish with a fresh peach slice and a spring of thyme.

Rude Cosmopolitan
courtesy of the Bonneville Cocktail Collection
1 ¼ oz reposado tequila
¾ oz triple sec
¾ oz fresh lime juice
½ oz lime cordial
½ oz cranberry juice
2 dashes orange bitters

Shake with ice, double strain into cocktail glass. Flame an orange peel to garnish.

El Chapo (Mexican Penicillin)
1 ¼ oz reposado tequila
¾ oz lemon juice
1/2 oz ginger syrup
1/2 agave nectar

Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass with ice. Add a mezcal float, garnish with candied ginger and lime wedge.

Mexican Old Fashioned
3 dashes hot chile tincture (blanco tequila with chiles infused)
½ oz agave syrup
2 dashes grapefruit bitters
2 oz. reposado tequila

Stir, add ice, stir again. Pour into a rocks glass.

Nouveau Carré
courtesy of Seriouseats.com
1 1/2 oz. añejo tequila (or añejo sotol)
3/4 oz. Benedictine
1/4 oz. Lillet Blanc
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
lemon twist, for garnish

Combine tequila (or sotol), Benedictine, Lillet, and bitters in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir until well chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe glass; twist lemon peel over drink and use as garnish.

Margarita Strawberries
courtesy of delish.com
24 large strawberries
1 lime, for juice and zest
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For Margarita Mixture:
1/2 cup silver tequila
1/4 cup. triple sec
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Squeeze strawberries all over with lime juice. On a shallow bowl, mix sugar with salt and the zest of 1 lime. Roll strawberries in sugar mixture.

In a medium measuring cup, stir together tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Pour into pipettes, then stick pipette into strawberry. Repeat until all margarita mixture is used.

Tequila Barbecue Sauce
courtesy of myrecipes.com
1 can (12 oz.) frozen pineapple juice concentrate
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 cup tequila
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar (we used apple cider vinegar)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 minced red onion
1 Tbsp. minced canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce (including sauce)

In a 4- to 5-quart pan, combine pineapple juice concentrate, tomato paste, tequila, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and chipotle chili. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir often until reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Use sauce, chill airtight up to 2 weeks, or freeze. Because this only makes 2 cups and we wanted to fill a slow cooker with meatballs simmering in it, we doubled the recipe. Caution: this is very spicy!

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