23 Best Tequila Cocktails

Tequila time is the best time, as you’ll soon find out with these flavorful and delicious tequila cocktails.

These 20+ creative recipes are a great way to use the Mexican liquor, whether you’re new to tequila or a seasoned drinker.

Tequila Cocktails & Drink Recipes

Tequila is a strong spirit usually enjoyed neat or knocked back with salt and lime.

But you don’t have to be a tequila purist to make the most of this booze.

Cultivate your cocktail skills by mixing it up in a paloma, blending it into an icy slushie, or making a smooth and silky martini.

Shake it up and get ready to party. It’s cocktail hour somewhere!

1. Tequila Sunrise

Sunny and bright, this tequila cocktail is as eye-catching as a golden sunrise.

It’s swirled with vibrant yellows and reds, thanks to the fruity combination of orange, lime, tequila, and grenadine.

Decorate with a maraschino cherry and a cocktail umbrella to serve this one poolside in the summer.

Ingredients: tequila, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine, seltzer water

2. Cherry Lime Tequila Cocktail

This fizzy mood-booster is all you need for a night out. Even if that night out is just you on the couch with your honey.

A tempting froth of tart cherry, zingy lime, smooth tequila, and sweet citrus soda, it’s a guaranteed hit.

It’s also really, really easy. This fruity refresher is so simple it’ll quickly become a happy hour favorite.

Ingredients: tequila, lime juice, cherry juice, 7Up, ice

3. Paloma

Made with grapefruit juice and lime, the paloma is a cocktail for people who hate cocktails.

If you’ve shunned mixed drinks because they’re too sugary, or too sickly, or too garish, give the paloma a try.

It’s fresh and simple, made with sparkling water, tequila, and citrus.

There’s no added sugar in this one, just a dash of agave to balance the sour notes. This is a tequila cocktail for grown-ups.

Ingredients: tequila, grapefruit juice, sparkling water, lime juice, agave nectar, salt, ice

4. Jalapeno Margarita

Savory and spicy, if you don’t have a jalapeno margarita on your cocktail bucket list you’re missing out.

It’s made with fresh orange juice, lime, agave, and tequila.

The kick comes from the jalapeno, which is thinly sliced and added to the liquid ingredients before everything gets thoroughly shaken.

Serve it in a salt-rimmed glass for the full effect.

Team this Mexican margarita with tacos or fajitas, and you’re in for a great night!

Ingredients: tequila, lime juice & wedge, orange juice, agave, jalapenos, salt for the glass rim

5. Texas Ranch Water

This 3-ingredient thirst-quencher is designed to help ranch hands get through their long, hot, dusty days.

Sure, drinking on the job isn’t for everyone, but this tempting tipple would be very welcome after a hard day’s labor.

It’s made with tequila, lime juice, and mineral water. That’s it! No added sugar, no sickly fruit juice after taste. Just a refreshing, delicious libation.

Ingredients: tequila, lime juice & wedge, Topo Chico

6. Siesta Cocktail

This tequila cocktail has a lot in common with siestas (otherwise known as Spanish naps).

It’s refreshing, it’s relaxing, and it makes you feel great afterward.

You’ll find it’s a lot like the Paloma, as it’s loaded with tart grapefruit. But you’ll also add Campari to it’s a touch more complex.

Ingredients: tequila blanco, lime juice, simple syrup, Campari, grapefruit juice

7. Charro Negro

If you like Cuba Libre cocktails then you’ll love this Mexican version of the classic Caribbean tipple.

It skips the rum, turning this cocktail from a rum and coke to tequila and coke.

Just be sure to use authentic Mexican cola.

You can pick this up at a range of grocery stores and it’s well worth hunting it down. Mexican cola uses real sugar instead of sweeteners.

Ingredients: tequila, Coca-Cola, lime juice, salt & lime wedge for the glass rim

8. Tequila Collins

Replacing the gin in a Tom Collins turns it into its Mexican cousin, the Tequila Collins.

It’s a simple swap, but it turns a typically botanical drink into something deeper and, in my opinion, more delicious.

Feel free to add simple syrup or agave if you want it sweeter.

Ingredients: reposado tequila, lime juice, Topo Chico mineral water, ice

9. Strawberry Margarita

Every cook should know how to make a good margarita, and this recipe is a great place to start.

This slushie-like version is the ideal adults-only treat on a hot summer day.

It’s loaded with fresh berries, tequila, triple sec, and limeade. It tastes just like strawberry sorbet, except it’s boozier and better!

Ingredients: tequila, triple sec, frozen strawberries, limeade concentrate, sugar, salt for the glass rim

10. Mexican Bloody Maria

Take your classic Bloody Mary south of the border with this creative cocktail.

You’ll use tequila, not vodka, for this traditional treat. But otherwise, the ingredients remain the same – Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice, and hot sauce.

Spice it up with a dash of smoked paprika and black pepper for a punchy spirit that delivers a tangy kick.

Don’t forget to dress this one. Just like Bloody Marys, Bloody Marias need a stick of celery, olives, pickles, or citrus wedges for garnish.

Ingredients: tequila blanco, tomato juice, lemon, lime, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt, smoked paprika, black pepper

11. Tequila and Ginger Ale

Spicy and sweet, ginger is the perfect complement to tequila’s fiery depth.

With this bubbly cocktail, you get all that gorgeous ginger taste with a boozy bite.

It’s made with just two ingredients, so be sure you use top-quality tequila and high-end ginger ale (the recipe has a few suggestions for both).

Ingredients: tequila reposado, ginger ale, ice

12. Guava Tequila Sour

Loaded with tropical taste and plenty of booze, this delightful tequila sour makes me long for summer.

It features guava nectar and agave, making it perfectly sweet and fruity. And there’s also coconut rum in the mix, adding to the vacation vibes.

The egg white is optional. But then, it wouldn’t really be a sour without it!

Ingredients: blanco tequila, guava nectar, coconut rum, lemon juice, agave, egg white, ice

13. El Diablo

Sweet yet sinful, I can’t get enough of El Diablo.

This dark and devilish mix of black currant liqueur, ginger beer, and lime is one of my go-to Thanksgiving tequila cocktails.

With its perfect balance of sweet, tart, and spicy flavors, El Diablo is one sprightly spirit.

Ingredients: tequila reposado, creme de cassis, ginger beer, lime juice

14. Where the Sea Meets the Sky

This poetic-sounding cocktail is made with silver tequila, which is clearer and sharper than the traditional gold type.

It’s also bottled as soon as it’s distilled, so there’s no aging, giving it a more neutral taste. 

In this recipe, it’s a smooth base to more explosive flavors like grapefruit and oregano.

Sweet, delicate, and floral, this is a sophisticated spirit that true connoisseurs will love.

Ingredients: silver tequila, elderflower liqueur, oregano simple syrup, grapefruit or citrus bitters, grapefruit twist

15. Strawberry Mint Tequila Smash

This breezy booze tastes like summer in a glass.

And not just any summer. The kind of summers that are drenched in sunshine, full of good times, and seem to last forever.

This magical blend of fresh berries and leafy mint is gorgeously refreshing.

Ingredients: tequila, strawberries, mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, strawberry or lemon seltzer, ice

16. Mexican Martini

Sweet and salty, this south-of-the-border martini is perfect for a grown-up Cinco de Mayo party.

Most of the ingredients are what you’d expect in a tequila drink. But it’s the olive brine juice that turns it into a martini.

It’s not for everyone. But it’s definitely worth a try if you want something a little different.

Ingredients: reposado tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, olive brine juice, orange juice, salt, lime wedges, and olives (for garnish)

17. Orange Dream Tequila Cocktail

How pretty is this drink? “Orange Dream” is the perfect name, if you ask me.

It starts out a bit like an orange margarita. But when you add honey syrup, almond extract, and vanilla, it turns into something kind of like a creamsicle.

Try it once, and you’ll be hooked!

Ingredients: reposado tequila, orange juice, lime juice, honey syrup, almond extract, vanilla extract, ice, orange slice, lime slice, and edible flowers (for garnish)

18. Tequila Berry Smash

The best thing about this summery smash is the fresh berries.

Muddled into the drink, the partially-smashed berries soak up the tequila and lime juice – turning them into boozy juicy goodness.

Garnish with fresh mint, serve over ice, and enjoy that last tequila-soaked berry at the bottom of the glass.

Ingredients: agave tequila, mixed berries, lime juice, honey simple syrup, mint, ice

19. Tequila Chia Hot Toddy

Winter cocktails are the best way of getting through chilly nights and frosty days.

This warming blend features tequila, chai tea, and a slice of lemon. It’s basically cocktail comfort food!

Ingredients: tequila, chai tea, orange juice, honey

20. Cucumber Lime Margarita

Understated and sophisticated, the flavor pairing of subtle cucumber and tangy lime works perfectly in this cocktail.

It’s an elegant twist on the classic margarita, made with lime juice, cucumber, and tequila.

This would be perfect for your next Cinco de Mayo. Make a pitcher and get your guests in the mood to party, Mexican-style!

Ingredients: silver tequila, lime juice & wedge, cucumber juice & wedge

21. Tequila and Pineapple Juice

The tropical taste of pineapple and spicy tequila are a match made in heaven.

You don’t have to get complicated to enjoy this dream team. 

Just stir together tequila and fresh pineapple juice for a 2-minute treat that can’t fail to please.

Add a splash of cocktail bitters for deeper flavor or turn it into a pineapple margarita with Cointreau and lime. The sky’s the limit with this versatile tipple.

Ingredients: tequila, pineapple juice, ice, lime wedge, mint

22. Tequila Lime Mojitarita Cocktail

What do you get if you mash up a mojito and a margarita? This unique cocktail!

It’s a punchy mix of the best of both, made with fresh lime, mint leaves, sugar, and tequila.

Top it off with club soda and take your time. This is a drink to savor slowly.

Ingredients: silver tequila, lime juice, sugar, mint, soda water

23. Mexican Tequila Mule

But move over Moscow, it’s time to take this to Mexico and give it a spicy spin.

Tequila, ginger beer, and lime – this is a super-easy cocktail that’s also super-tasty. 

It’s the ideal way to start your mid-week happy hour or get the weekend started with some Friday fun.

Ingredients: tequila, lime, ginger beer, mint