Festive Drinks for Cinco de Mayo
What is a Cinco de Mayo fiesta without some tasty drinks? Break away from the usual margaritas with these wickedly wonderful concoctions!
Cinco de Mayo
- 2 oz. tequila
- 1 oz. grenadine
- 1 oz. Rose’s lime juice
- 1 lime wedge
- Ice
Fill a cocktail shaker ½ full with ice. Pour in tequila, grenadine, and Rose’s lime juice. Give it a good shake, and strain into an old-fashioned glass ¾ full of ice.
Garnish with the lime wedge.
Frozen Matador
- 1½ oz. tequila
- 2 oz. pineapple juice
- ½ oz. lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon grenadine
- 1 lime wedge
- Ice
Fill a blender ½ full with ice. Pour in the tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine. Blend on medium speed for 15-20 seconds. Pour into a goblet and garnish with the lime wedge.
Variation: Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, give it a good shake, and strain it into a cocktail glass, and you’ve got yourself a Mexicana!
Donkey Punch
- 2 cups rum
- 1 cup grenadine
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 48 oz. orange juice
- 32 oz. ginger ale
- 6-8 orange slices
- Ice
Pour the rum, grenadine, pineapple juice, and orange juice into a punch bowl. Pour in the ginger ale last, and stir with a wooden spoon. Fill punch bowl with ice, and garnish with orange slices.
Massacre
- 2 oz. tequila
- ¼ oz. lime juice
- 1 oz. pineapple juice
Fill a cocktail shaker ½ full with ice. Pour in tequila, lime juice, and pineapple juice. Give it a good shake, and strain into a cocktail glass.
Pancho Villa
- ¾ oz. light rum
- ¾ oz gin.
- ¾ oz. apricot brandy
- 1 teaspoon cherry brandy
- 1 Tablespoon pineapple juice
- 1 maraschino cherry
Fill a cocktail shaker ½ full with ice. Pour in light rum, gin, apricot brandy, cherry brandy, and pineapple juice. Give it a good shake, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Red-Headed Mexican
- 2 oz. tequila
- 1 Tablespoon cranberry juice
- Lemon-lime soda
- 1 lemon twist
- Ice
Fill an old-fashioned glass ¾ full with ice. Pour in tequila and cranberry juice, and top off with lemon-lime soda. Give it a good stir. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Tijuana Sunrise
- 1½ oz. tequila
- ½ oz. Campari
- 2 oz. orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 orange slice
- Ice
Fill a cocktail shaker ½ full with ice. Pour in tequila, Campari, orange juice, and lime juice. Give it a good shake, and strain into an old-fashioned glass ¾ full of ice. Garnish with orange slice.
Just in case you do want a margarita, here is a glorious, citrusy-sweet take on a mango margarita from Tocqueville restaurant in New York City.
Mango Sauza Margarita
- 1½ Sauza tequila
- ½ oz. Cointreau
- ¼ oz. lemon juice
- ¼ oz. lime juice
- 1 oz. mango puree or mango juice
- 1 Tablespoon simple syrup*
- 1 lime wedge
- Ice
Fill a cocktail shaker ½ full with ice. Pour in Sauza tequila, Cointreau, lemon juice, lime juice, mango puree, and simple syrup. Give it a good shake, and strain into an old-fashioned glass ¾ full of ice. Garnish with lime wedge.
With these drinks, you are guaranteed to have a great fiesta! For some wickedly wonderful food recipes to accompany these drinks, be sure to check out our quick guide Festive Food for Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bartending, Second Edition, by Amy Zavato
*To make simple syrup: In a large saucepan over low heat, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Heat for about 5 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. You can store your simple syrup in a quart-size sealable jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
