Friday Is National Tequila Day — Here Are 13 Cocktail Recipes to Celebrate

July 24 is National Tequila Day, and while you might not be able to visit the small town in Jalisco, Mexico, for which the spirit is named, you can mix up a delicious tequila cocktail at home and dream of your next vacation. Tequila, made from blue agave, has been distilled and enjoyed in Mexico for hundreds of years, and it has become increasingly popular in the United States in the past two decades.

In fact, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, “Americans cannot get enough of Mexico’s native spirit.” Since 2002, tequila has become even more popular in the United States, with volumes growing 180 percent in the last 18 years.

There are three popular types of tequila: blanco, which is clear and unaged, reposado, which is aged between two and 12 months and usually has a gold color, and añejo, which is aged one to three years. There’s also extra añejo, which is aged over three years, and joven tequila, which typically combines different types of tequila or flavorings to get its gold color. Whatever you have in your cabinet or on your bar cart, we’ve got you covered.

We’ve rounded up classic tequila cocktail recipes, as well as inventive, new drinks from newcomers to the tequila market, including Teremana Tequila, founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Cincoro Tequila, created by Michael Jordan and four other NBA team owners.

Of course, we also have tequila cocktails from brands who have been creating the spirit for hundreds of years, including Hacienda Corralejo. Ray Ramos, director of Hacienda Corralejo, says, "Tequila is one of Mexico’s biggest assets — culturally and beyond....For nearly 250 years, the distillation methods of Hacienda Corralejo have been preserved, refined, and developed by our local community into a tradition of tequila.”

Here are 13 tequila cocktails to make this National Tequila Day. And, as always, enjoy responsibly!

1. Spicy Grapefruit Sour

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Corralejo Reposado Tequila
• 1 oz. grapefruit juice
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 0.5 oz. jalapeño simple syrup
• 1 egg white

Directions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients. Strain out ice and shake hard again. Strain into a glass and garnish.

2. Hibiscus Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 parts tequila
• 1 part fresh lime juice
• 1 part orange-flavored triple sec
• 1 part hibiscus simple syrup

Directions: Build all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well (about 20 seconds) and strain into a rocks glass with ice.

3. Cincoro Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Cincoro Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 0.75 oz. Cointreau
• 0.25 oz. agave nectar

Directions: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice in a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

4. Classic Paloma

Ingredients:

• 1.5 parts blanco tequila
• 1.5 parts grapefruit juice
• 1.5 parts lime juice
• 1.5 parts simple syrup
• 1.5 parts club soda (or to taste)

Directions: Build tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, and grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice. Top with club soda.

5. Ponche Caballero

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Tequila Partida Reposado
• 1.5 oz. tamarind nectar or soda
• 1.5 oz. pineapple juice
• 0.5 oz. agave nectar
• 0.5 oz. fresh lime juice
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Directions: Shake and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge and pineapple leaves.

6. Teremana Avo-Colada

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Teremana Blanco
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 0.5 oz. agave nectar
• Half an avocado
• 2 tbsps. coconut yogurt

Directions: Muddle the avocado in a tin. Add Teremana Blanco, lime juice, agave nectar, and coconut yogurt. Shake, serve over fresh ice, and top with sparkling mineral water.

7. Strawberry Basil Paloma

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Los Arango Reposado
• 1 oz. grapefruit juice
• 0.5 oz. agave syrup
• 2 chopped strawberries
• 5 basil leaves
• Soda to top
• Smoked sea salt for rim

Directions: Rim a highball glass with smoked sea salt. Combine all ingredients except soda in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to chill and combine ingredients. Fine strain into the glass over fresh ice. Top with soda and garnish.

8. El Diablo

Ingredients:

• 0.75 oz. Chamucos Blanco
• 0.5 oz. crème de cassis
• 0.5 oz. fresh lime juice
• 3 oz. ginger beer
• Lime wedge and fresh blackberry or candied ginger, for garnish

Directions: Combine all ingredients, except ginger beer, and shake. Fine strain into an ice-filled Collins glass, top with ginger beer, and garnish.

9. Jalapeño Avocado Margarita for Two

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Bribón Tequila Blanco
• 2 oz. agave nectar (cut 50/50 with water)
• 2 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
• Half an avocado, peeled and mashed
• 2 slices jalapeño
• Lime wheels, for garnish
• 1 cup ice, plus extra for serving

Directions: Fill two rocks glasses with ice. Set aside. Place ripe avocado and jalapeño slices in a cocktail shaker. Muddle ingredients until they're thoroughly mashed. Add remaining ingredients to the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into the two rocks glasses, and garnish with the remaining lime wheels.

10. 3 Raspados by Jaime Salas, National Milagro Tequila Ambassador

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Milagro Silver
• 1 part fresh lime juice
• 1 part fruit juice of choice (lime, mango, or papaya)
• 0.5 part agave nectar

Directions: Combine everything in a shaker with ice and shake until frosty. Using your method of choice, make your ice “snow” in a cone or rocks glass, and pour the mix over to make an adult version of a snow cone.

11. Spring Flora

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Sesión Blanco
• 0.33 oz. Aperol
• 0.5 oz. lime juice
• 0.33 oz. hibiscus syrup
• 1 oz. watermelon juice
• 2 drops rosewater
• 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Directions: Add all ingredients to a shaker. Add ice and shake until cold. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grated chocolate.

12. Sunrise & Shine Mocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Ritual Tequila Alternative
• 0.75 cup orange juice
• 0.75 oz. grenadine syrup
• Orange slice, for garnish
• Maraschino cherry

Directions: Pour Ritual Tequila Alternative and orange juice in a highball glass over ice. Stir to combine. Pour in grenadine, slowly over the back of a spoon. Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry. For a lower-ABV twist, add one ounce of tequila and one ounce of Tequila Alternative.

13. Jaja-peño Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Jaja Blanco
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz. triple sec
• 0.5 oz. agave syrup
• 2 jalapeño slices

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice to chill the mixture, and pour over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime.