It’s great to see so many Agave Spirits in innovative drinks on menus around the globe. Agave Spirits are certainly mainstream, and bartenders know they’re perfect in a variety of drinks. Luckily, now most consumers share this sentiment. We love Agave Spirits cocktails, but we tend to stick to the classics.
BevX Rules for Agave Spirits/Tequila Cocktails
- Always use a quality spirit. 100% Agave is the rule — do not think that just because the spirit is muted in the drink, you can get away with using a spirit that you would not sip. It doesn’t work.
- Blanco (joven for Mezcal) is our preferred type for drinks, as we like our Agave Spirits to feature the spirit rather than be influenced by wood aging. Of course, there is always an exception to the rule — we make an exception below. Anejo Agave Spirits in cocktails should be treated like any other wood-aged spirit, which often means avoiding flavors that are the natural companions of unaged Agave Spirits.
- Agave Spirits (unaged) are perfect partners for citrus and tropical fruits, as well as for chili/spice and salt. It may seem cliched but behind almost every cliché is a stubborn fact.
- Despite being naturally great in hot weather cocktails, Agave Spirits cocktails can make the coldest winter day feel a bit like summer.
Virtually all Tequila drinks can be made with Mezcal if the Mezcal flavor and aromatic profile is preferred. The reverse is not always true, as many Mezcal drinks were created to showcase Mezcal’s raw, smoky flavor profile. Of course, you can always mix Tequila and Mezcal in the same cocktail… It’s a brave new world.
Make sure you check out our collection of Tequila cocktails. Also be sure to check out our Tequila reviews and Mezcal reviews.
Without further ado, we present our Top Five Agave Spirits cocktails – indispensable in our view.
The BevX Top Five Agave Spirits Cocktails
- The Perfect Margarita – No curated collection of Agave Spirits/Tequila cocktails is complete without the prominent Margarita. This great three-ingredient cocktail properly celebrates Tequila with a fresh-squeezed limejuice in support. On a hot summer’s day, it’s often the perfect cocktail and one that takes restraint to keep you from reaching for the shaker for another round followed by another… See the Story and get the Recipe
- Playa Sunset – Mexico’s Playa del Carmen is a popular and once-great beach destination (that’s a story for another time). The sea air, bright sun, and Tequila conspire to lull you into a mañana state of mind. Years ago I created this cocktail in our rental apartment during one of our nightly Tequila aperitif sessions. Tropical fruit juice and coconut water are both friendly with Tequila, and this simple and refreshing drink is proof positive. See the Story and get the Recipe
- Naked and Famous – This contemporary drink was created in New York City with a trio of mixologists’ go-to ingredients: Mezcal, Chartreuse, and Aperol. It’s a rip on the classic Last Word, and the drink simply works. See the Story and get the Recipe
- El Diablo – The name El Diablo immediately suggests a spicy hot dish or drink, but that is not the case with this classic cocktail. This cocktail was created by Trader Vic himself — the color and the bright, fruity nature track with the Tiki catalog. While we most often call for Blanco Tequila in drinks, the El Diablo is better when made with Reposado… See the Story and get the Recipe
- La Paloma – Mexico’s favorite Tequila cocktail is another mandatory inclusion in our Top 5 list. Don’t skimp on the grapefruit soda, but also don’t go too upscale with it, as a fancy soda will become the bully in this drink. See the Story and get the Recipe
Do you want to better understand cocktails? May we suggest Be A Beverage Expert (BABE), a guide to understanding wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails.
Enjoy!