5 Easy Cocktails to Make for Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo Cocktail Ideas

Cinco de Mayo, to many Americans, is a day to celebrate Mexico and its victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. We tend to do this by copiously ingesting the countryโ€™s most famous spirit, tequila, as well as other Mexican spirits, beer and mixers!ย 

VS Liquor has compiled a few of our favorite Cinco De Mayo cocktails to make your celebration appropriately festive in preparation for the holiday.ย 

The Classic Margarita

You can never go wrong with the classic Margarita - itโ€™s a fan favorite! Not only is it delicious, but itโ€™s also incredibly easy to make. Combining the tang of lime and the sweetness of orange liqueur alongside a high quality tequila (we recommend blanco tequila) and margarita mix makes for the perfect cocktail. Here are the ingredients and instructions:

Ingredients

  1. 2 oz blanco tequilaย 
  2. ยฝ oz orange liqueur
  3. 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  4. ยฝ ounce agave syrupย 

Instructionsย 

  1. Fill cocktail shaker bottle with ice
  2. Add tequila of your choice, orange liqueur, lime juice and agave to cocktail shaker (to make spicy, add sliced raw jalapenos with seeds)
  3. Shake until ingredients are well chilledย 
  4. Garnish with a lime wheel and kosher salt on rim
  5. Sip, enjoy!

The Paloma

Another Mexico favorite, the Paloma! This refreshing, easy-to-make cooler cocktail includes tequila (we recommend another blanco tequila) lime juice and grapefruit soda. You can also use a lightly aged reposado, but stay away from the well-aged tequilas for this one.ย 

Ingredients

  1. 2 oz of tequila of your choice (we recommend blanco or reposado)ย 
  2. ยฝ ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice
  3. Grapefruit sodaย 

Instructions

  1. Rub a lime around the rim of your favorite glass, and dip rim in salt or tajin (whatever you prefer)
  2. Fill glass with ice, and then add tequila and lime juice
  3. Top with grapefruit soda and stir
  4. Garnish with a lime wheel
  5. Sip and enjoy!ย 

Michelada

This can catch a few people off guard if theyโ€™re unfamiliar with Mexican culture. Our advice? Donโ€™t knock this โ€˜till you try it! The Michelada is similar to a Bloody Mary styled drink but made with beer instead of vodka. There is an array of recipes for this one depending on your preference of spice, tomato juice etc. But, here is how we like to make our Micheladas in San Diego!ย 

Ingredientsย 

  1. 8 to 12 oz of your favorite lite Mexican beer (Corona, Sol, Tecate, Modelo)
  2. 4 oz Clamato juice
  3. 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  4. Splash of Worcestershire sauce
  5. Splash of soy sauce
  6. Splash of hot sauce of your choice (we recommend tabasco)

Instructions

  1. Rub a lime around the rim of your favorite glass, and dip rim in salt or tajin (whatever you prefer)
  2. Fill a large glass with ice and set aside
  3. Add in your Worcestershire and soy sauce
  4. Add in hot sauce and lime juice
  5. Pour in your light Mexican beer
  6. Top with clamato juice
  7. Stir, sip and enjoy!ย 

Naked & Famousย 

Calling all mezcal lovers- this oneโ€™s for you! This modern classic is another simple, yet delicious cocktail consisting of only three ingredients.ย 

Ingredients

  1. ยพ ounce of mezcalย 
  2. ยพ ounce Aperolย 
  3. ยพ ounce yellow Chartreuseย 
  4. ยพ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

  1. Add ALL ingredients into a cocktail shaker bottle with ice
  2. Shake well until all ingredients are chilled
  3. Pour into a martini glass
  4. Sip, and enjoy!ย 

Ranch Water

Thereโ€™s a new cocktail ready to take over this famous holiday - the Ranch Water! This cocktail originated out of West Texas (Tex Mex) and is another simple, refreshing, festive cocktail for Cinco De Mayo!ย 

Ingredientsย 

  1. Tequila of your choice (the better the tequila, the better the drink!)
  2. Freshly squeezed lime juice
  3. Topo Chico Mineral water (die hardโ€™s of this drink claim itโ€™s not ranch water unless you use this ingredient specifically)

Instructions

  1. Place two shots of tequila in a glass (3oz)
  2. Pour in freshly squeezed lime juice (1 ยฝ oz)
  3. Add in ice
  4. Top it off with Topo Chicoย 
We hope you enjoy our recommendations. If you do end up maing any of these cocktails, let us know what you think and tag us in your posts! We are on instagram and Facebook. Donโ€™t forget to take advantage of our online shop and in-person stores! We offer instant access to high-quality, rare brands that take your cocktails to the next level.