23 Best Tequila Cocktails You Can Make on National Margarita Day

“Sin Rostro is the crazy, face-swapping crime boss on the American telenovela Jane the Virgin,” says Sammi Katz, co-author of the book Cocktails in Color. The name literally translates to “faceless” in English. “This is a refreshing tequila cocktail that features tamarind for sourness, rounded out by pear eau-de-vie. It’s great for the adventurous margarita-lover.”

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz tequila, like Tequila Ocho Plata, which we awarded the best tequila for margaritas
• .5 oz lime juice
• .5 oz tamarind cordial, preferably Tamworth Distilling Von Humboldt’s Tamarind Cordial
• .5 oz demerara syrup*
• .325 oz pear brandy

Instructions

1. Make demerara syrup.
2. Rim a Nick and Nora glass with salt.
3. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
4. Shake, then double strain into the glass.

For the Demerara Syrup*Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup demerara sugar

Instructions

1. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
2. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves. 
3. Let cool.

This wintry take on a margarita is the perfect easy tequila cocktail to perfect this season. Cantera Negra Reposado and fresh lime and blood orange juice are complemented by a flavorful winter spice rim.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Cantera Negra Reposado Tequila
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz fresh blood orange juice
• 0.5 oz agave syrup
• 0.75 tsp vanilla extract
• Winter spice mix, for rim*

Instructions

1. Rim a rocks glass with winter spice mix.
2. Combine all ingredients, except spice mix, in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously.
3. Strain into prepped rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

For the Winter Spice Mix*Ingredients

• .5 tsp salt
• .5 tsp sugar
• .25 tsp cinnamon
• .25 tsp chili powder

You’ve never had a margarita like this before. “We play off the beautiful vegetal notes of blanco tequila with jalapeño, melon, and a touch of Jamaican white rum,” says Kevin Diedrich of Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco, CA. “A touch of nuttiness from the orgeat pulls this crushable cocktail together.”

Ingredients

• 1.75 oz honeydew-melon-cucumber-infused blanco tequila*
• .25 oz Wray & Nephew Over Proof Rum
• .75 oz lime
• .5 oz jalapeño syrup**
• .5 oz orgeat, like Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup
• 1 dash absinthe

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake and double strain into a double rocks glass with fresh ice.
3. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a skewer with honeydew and watermelon balls.

For the Cucumber-Melon Blanco Tequila*Ingredients

• 500g honey dew melon, cubed
• 120g cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1 750ml bottle of blanco tequila, like Tapatio Blanco

Instructions

1. Add honeydew to tequila and let sit for 12 hours.
2. After 12 hours, add cucumber, and let sit for one more hour.
3. Strain tequila through an oil filter. 
4. Bottle, date, and store in the fridge.

For the Jalapeño Syrup**Ingredients

• 3 to 4 jalapeños
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Cut jalapeños into discs, removing the seeds.
2. Bring water to a simmer and add sugar, stirring until dissolved.
3. Add jalapeños to the pot and let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, then use a hand blender to blend the jalapeños with the syrup in the pot. 
5. Blanch the pot in an ice bath to retain the syrup’s color. Let sit until cool, around 15 minutes.
6. Strain the jalapeños with a fine strainer. 
7. Label and date syrup, which should stay fresh for two to three weeks in the refrigerator.

“The Agave Perfect Martini is an aromatic concoction that perfectly combines agave, herbs, spices, and roots from the vermouth blend,” says Guy Bergès, owner of Maison Artemisia cocktail bar in Mexico City. The agave-based martini combines old world (vermouth) with new world (tequila).

Ingredients

• 1 oz tequila Olmeca Altos Plata
• 0.8 oz Cocchi Americano Bianco
• 0.6 oz Carpano Dry Vermouth
• 0.6 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambery
• 4 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
• 1 orange peel cut in a circle, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add the tequila, vermouths, and orange bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until cold.
2. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.
3. Garnish with an orange peel cut in a circle.

As the name suggests, this cocktail pays homage to tres leches cake. “Añejo and reposado tequilas provide body, while cinnamon syrup and Amaro CioCiaro give warming Christmas-y notes,” says Sammi Katz, who created this cocktail for the menu at Tres Leches in Ithaca, NY. “The three milks used are evaporated, sweetened condensed, and oat, creating an indulgent dessert cocktail that doesn’t feel too heavy.” 

Ingredients

• 1 oz anejo tequila, like Solento Añejo 
• 1 oz reposado tequila, like Solento Reposado
• .75 oz tres leches mix*
• .75 oz cinnamon syrup**
• .5 oz Paolucci Amaro CioCiaro
• Grated nutmeg, for garnish

Instructions

1. Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Pour into a snifter glass and garnish with grated nutmeg.

For the Tres Leches Mix*Ingredients

• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-oz can evaporated milk
• 8oz oat milk

Instructions

1. Combine milks and whisk until smooth.

For the Cinnamon Syrup**Ingredients

• 4 cinnamon sticks 
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup demerara sugar

Directions

1. Using a muddler or a wooden spoon, gently crush the cinnamon in a heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Add water and bring to a simmer over low heat.
3. Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved.
4. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 more minutes.
5. Remove from heat and fine-strain, then cool.
6. Store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Spicy Passion elevates the spicy marg by incorporating passionfruit, ginger liqueur, and a fiery kick from habanero. “Balanced with lime juice, homemade mango-cardamom syrup, and triple sec, it’s a symphony of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors,” says Sayora Khamidova, general manager of JIMMY in New York, NY.

Ingredients

• 2 oz reposado tequila, like Arette Reposado Tequila
• 1 oz habanero tequila, like Tanteo Habanero Tequila
• 0.75 oz passionfruit liqueur, like Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur
• 0.75 oz ginger liqueur, like Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• 0.75 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz triple sec
• 0.5 oz mango-cardamom syrup*
• Lime wheel, dried mango, and caramelized ginger, for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients, except garnish, in a shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake well, then pour over fresh ice in a tajín-rimmed rocks glass.
3. Garnish with a lime wheel, diced dried mango, and diced caramelized ginger.

“The Green Mango Martini is inspired by the subway vendors who sell mangoes with a dash of tajín,” says Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez, owner of Superbueno in New York, NY. “You have the freshness of mango from the infused Patrón, then a slight kick of heat from the chili oil garnish.”

Ingredients

• 2.5 oz green mango-infused Patrón Silver* 
• 0.5 oz. mango eau de vie or any mango distillate, like Rhine Hall Mango Eau de Vie
• 0.75 oz sauternes, like Chateau Cantegril Sauternes 
• 0.25 oz honey syrup** 
• 2 dashes saline
• 2 dashes mango vinegar, like Nicolas Vahe Vinegar With Mango
• 1 drop chili oil, like Lee Kum Kee Lkk Chili Oil

Instructions

1. Make green mango-infused tequila and honey syrup.
2. Add ingredients together in a mixing glass with ice.
3. Stir with a bar spoon until cold.
4. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass.
5. Garnish with an eyedropper of chili oil.

For the Patrón Mango InfusionIngredients

• 1 liter Patrón Silver
• 350g small, peeled green mangoes

Instructions

1. Add mangoes to a large container with tequila.
2. Infuse overnight or up to 24 hours.
3. Strain and funnel back into the Patrón Silver bottle or a similarly sized container.

For the Honey SyrupIngredients

• 1/2 cup (4oz) honey 
• 1/2 cup (4oz) water

Instructions

1. Combine honey and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

“This is a split base mezcal and tequila cocktail that utilizes tepache, which has baking spices further expressed with five-spice bitters,” says Davey Saranatos, bar lead at Majordomo in Los Angeles, CA. “The pineapple flavor is enhanced by infusing the Italian Red Bitter Caffo with pineapple for two days, and we use a gochugaru salt-dusted pineapple wedge to garnish.” This is Los Angeles in a glass.

Ingredients

• 0.5 oz Casco Viejo Blanco Tequila
• 0.75 Mal Bien Espadin Mezcal
• 0.5 oz pineapple-infused Red Bitter Caffo*
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• 5 drops saline solution, like a.k.a. Mixology Saline Solution
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• 0.4 oz agave syrup
• 3 dashes Bitter Queens 5-Spice Bitters
• 3oz Tepache Sazón
• Pineapple wedge, for garnish
• Gochugaru salt, for garnish, like Shaker and Spoon Gochugaru Salt

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients, except Tepache Sazón and garnishes, to a shaker with three ice cubes.
2. Do a short shake, then add Tepache Sazón.
3. Strain into a tall collins glass with fresh ice.  
4. Optional: Garnish with gochugaru salt-dusted pineapple wedge.

The Fennel is a mix between a margarita and a paloma. “Fennel and grapefruit go really well together, with the fennel adding a lot of earthy, savoriness to this classic,” says Trey Bliss, beverage director at Baxtrom Hospitality. “Suze also brings herbal bitterness to balance the sweetness of the grapefruit. Keep the lime to make sure the grapefruit really pops with citrus brightness.”

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Pueblo Viejo Blanco Tequila
• 0.25 oz Suze
• 0.75 oz fennel syrup*
• 0.25 oz lime juice
• Pink grapefruit, sliced, for garnish
• Fennel fronds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients, except garnish, to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
2. Strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass.
3. Garnish with fennel fronds or a half moon slice of grapefruit.

For the Fennel SyrupIngredients

• 35g fennel seeds
• 1,000g sugar
• 1,000g water

Directions:
1. Bring all ingredients to a boil, then let steep off heat for 24 hours.
2. Strain and refrigerate.

Who said a martini had to be made with gin or vodka? This rule-breaking martini spotlights Patrón El Cielo, a new slightly sweet and fruity offering from the iconic tequila house that’s been distilled four times. This easy tequila cocktail only requires four ingredients and really spotlights the flavor of cooked agave.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Patrón El Cielo
• .5 oz Martini Riserva Speciale Ambrato Vermouth
• .5 oz Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth
• 3 dashes orange bitters, preferably Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters
• Orange twist, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir.
2. Pour neat into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
3. Garnish with orange twist.

“An all-season drink—either cooling you down in the summer or providing escapism in the winter, Pressure Sensitive is always a banger,” says Max Green, beverage director of Hospitality Department at New York City’s Point Seven. “Lalo Blanco Tequila, velvet falernum, lime, and orgeat pair beautifully to create this Mai Tai-inspired drink.” Thai bitters adds notes of green chili and baking spice, turning an otherwise simple tequila cocktail into something that tastes more complex.

Ingredients

• 2 dashes Thai bitters, like The Bitter End Thai Bitters
• 0.75 oz lime 
• 0.75 oz orgeat, like Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup
• 0.5 oz falernum, like John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum Liqueur
• 1.5 oz Lalo Blanco Tequila
• Mint, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with two cubes of ice.
2. Shake until ice is melted.
3. Pour into a footed pilsner glass over crushed ice.
4. Garnish with a mint bouquet.

“Double L represents the fusion of flavors and aromas from the cocktail’s star ingredients, lavender and lychee,” says Sayora Khamidova, general manager at JIMMY in New York, NY. It’s an exotic combination few are accustomed to in an easy tequila cocktail.

Ingredients

• 2 oz blanco tequila, like El Tesoro Blanco
• 1 oz lychee liqueur, like Giffard Lichi-Li Liqueur
• 0.5 oz lavender syrup, like Torani Lavender Syrup 
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz triple sec
• Lavender, fresh or dried, for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake well, then strain into a martini glass.
3. Garnish with fresh or dried lavender.

With notes of mesquite wood from Maestro Dobel Humito, this margarita inspires daydreams of a Mexican getaway. Its smoky essence highlights flavors of lime, corn, and agave. It’s transportive—even if you can’t swing the PTO.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Maestro Dobel Humito
• .5 oz Nixta Licor de Elote
• .5 oz agave syrup
• .75 oz lime
• 2 dashes Cocoa Angostura Bitters
• Tajín, for garnish

Instructions

1. Rim glass with tajín.
2. Add ingredients to a shaker with ice.
3. Shake vigorously, then strain into the rimmed cocktail glass over fresh ice.

“The stunning color of this cocktail is enhanced when blending East Imperial Grapefruit Soda with Butterfly Cannon Blue Tequila,” says Jose Huitron of L’Opera Italian Restaurant in Long Beach, CA. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Butterfly Cannon Blue Tequila
• 3 oz East Imperial Grapefruit Soda
• 0.25 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Dash of simple syrup
• Black sea salt, for garnish

Instructions

1. Rim the glass with black sea salt.
2. In a shaking tin filled with ice, combine everything but the soda.
3. Shake and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, then top with grapefruit soda.

New York City’s Temple Bar has a rotating spicy margarita special that changes with the seasons, but always pays some sort of homage to birds. “The Winter 23/24 release designed by JoJo Colonna is an agave drinkers’ dream with sharp green apple and habanero balanced with a hint of honey and a touch of nutmeg,” says Samantha Casuga, Temple Bar’s head bartender.

Ingredients

• 2 dashes habanero tincture, like Scrappy’s Bitters Firewater
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz honey syrup
• 1 oz fresh green apple juice
• 0.5 oz Fino Sherry
• 1.5 oz Tequila Ocho Plata
• Nutmeg, for garnish

Instructions 

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
2. Pour into a double rocks glass.
3. Grate nutmeg on top.

“Monochrome Margarita puts a sophisticated twist on a beloved classic,” says Jack Morgan, founder of Chrome Horse Society Tequila. “With elevated ingredients, such as clarified lime and spicy bitters, our margarita has an elegant yet simple presentation that’s deceptively packed with flavor.”  

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Chrome Horse Society Blanco Tequila
• .5 oz premium triple sec, like Finest Call Triple Sec
• .75 oz clarified lime, like Supasawa
• .25 oz simple syrup
• 2 dashes habanero tincture, like Scrappy’s Bitters Firewater

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and stir well to combine.
3. Strain into an old fashioned glass with fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel.

The Black Diamond Margarita is made with the world’s first cristalino tequila, Maestro Dobel Diamante. Of course black diamond also refers to a category of ski slopes reserved for experts, placing this cocktail at the peak of easy margarita recipes.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Maestro Dobel Diamante
• 0.5 oz agave syrup
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• Black lava salt, for rim, like Saltverk Lava Sea Salt
• Lime wedge, for garnish

Directions

1. Rim rocks glasses with black lava salt and fill with ice.
2. Place ingredients, except garnish, in a shaker with ice.
3. Shake and strain into rocks glasses.
4. Garnish with lime wedge.

You need to know how to make a classic margarita, bottom line. Keep things blissfully simple with Patrón Silver, the first bottling in the brand’s expanding lineup. Traditional and modern techniques were utilized to “develop a recipe that elevated a category dominated by low-priced ‘mixto’ tequila,” says David Alan, Patrón’s tequila director of Trade Education & Mixology. It’s smooth and sweet on the palate with a light peppery finish, making it a dream to mix in a marg.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Patrón Silver
• 1 oz Citrónge Orange Liqueur
• .75 oz fresh lime juice
• .25 oz simple syrup 
• Lime wedge, for garnish
• Kosher salt, for rim, optional

Instructions

1. Rim a cocktail glass with salt.
2. Combine ingredients, except garnish, in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill.
3. Strain onto fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Created by Jose Luis Leon at Mexico City’s Licorería Limantour, cocktail enthusiasts love Margarita al Pastor because it’s a playful spin on the classic made with Casa Dragones Blanco. This 100 percent blue agave silver tequila is intended to be sipped, making it a super smooth addition to any classic tequila cocktail. The unexpected dash of taco seasoning lends a smoky, savory hit that’s irresistible. 

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Casa Dragones Blanco
• 0.7 oz Cointreau
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• 1.5 oz pineapple juice 
• Dash of taco seasoning
• Pineapple wedge, for garnish

Instructions

1. Rim a rocks glass with salt.
2. Shake all ingredients in a tumbler with ice.
3. Double strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

The Classic 818 Espresso Martini is a take on the ever-popular tequila espresso martini. The cooked agave and caramel notes of 818 Tequila Reposado are perfectly complemented by rich coffee liqueur and fresh espresso, resulting in a cocktail that’s as smooth as it is delicious.

Ingredients

• 2 oz 818 Tequila Reposado
• 1.25 oz chilled espresso
• 0.75 oz coffee liqueur, preferably Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
• 0.25 oz cinnamon syrup, optional, like Torani Cinnamon Syrup
• Espresso beans, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake for 15 to 20 seconds, until the shaker is frosty.
3. Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass.
4. Garnish with three espresso beans.

“Our spin on a classic margarita uses calamansi—a juicy, vibrant citrus fruit from the Philippines—which tastes like a cross between lime juice and tangerine,” says Haera Shin, beverage director of Momofuku in New York, NY. “The habanero honey brings just the right amount of heat, sweet, and spice.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz Cimarron Blanco
• 0.5 oz Cointreau
• 1.25 oz calamansi juice, like Sun Tropics 100% Pure Calamansi Puree
• 1.25 oz habanero honey*
• Momofuku Spicy Salt
• Lime wheel, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make habanero honey.
2. Combine all ingredients, except garnish, in a shaker.
3. Double strain over ice in a rocks glass.
4. Dust with Momofuku Spicy Salt and garnish with a lime wheel.

For the Habanero HoneyIngredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) honey
• 500 ml (2 cups) hot water
• 5 sticks cinnamon
• 4 habanero chilis

Instructions

1. Combine honey, hot water, and cinnamon sticks in a pot and heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Take off heat and let steep for 20 more minutes.
3. Cool and keep refrigerated.

“My mission was to craft a Tommy’s margarita that sings with the unique notes of the tequila chosen by the bartender or guest,” says Julio Bermejo, co-founder of TAG Global Spirits Awards. “Thankfully, the trend is shifting towards empowering guests to pick their tequila based on personal preference and the vibe they’re seeking.”

Ingredients

• 2 oz Blanco tequila, like Luna Blanco
• 1 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz agave nectar
• Salt, for rim

Instructions

1. Rim a rocks glass with salt.
2. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
3. Shake well to combine and chill.
4. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
5. Garnish with a lime wedge.

The perfect after-dinner sipper, Midnight in Manhattan is Patrón’s take on a Manhattan. While the OG is made with whiskey and sweet vermouth, this sweet-and-herbal variation boasts Averna Amaro, which plays well with the brand’s three-year-aged extra añejo.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Patrón Extra Añejo
• 1 oz Averna Amaro
• 2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
• Orange twist, for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients, except garnish, in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill and combine.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.