Tequila Cocktails To Make With Just One Bottle
Tequila Cocktails To Make With Just One Bottle
So often we’re asked questions similar to “I just bought a delicious bottle of Tequila, what cocktails can I make with it, without having to buy 15 other bottles of booze?!”
It takes both time and money to build up your bar supplies, or it could be that you’re heading to a friend’s house with a bottle of something and you want to mix up some drinks when you get there. Whatever the situation, we all need single spirit recipes at our fingertips. Here are some cocktails options you can make with just a bottle of Tequila, some of which are classic Tequila cocktails, others are more modern takes.
01. Skinny Margarita
To be a Margarita, you need both Tequila and an Orange Liqueur don’t you? Well yes, usually you do. However, in this instance the recipe replaces the sugary sweet Liqueur with a splash of fresh Orange Juice and the essential oils from orange peel to get that all important hint of orange into the recipe.
This is also a batched recipe that you then mix with Tequila, which means the work is done ahead of schedule, rather than when you’re trying to relax and enjoy a drink with friends. It also means that anyone who’s not drinking can have a glass of something refreshing and non-alcoholic. An easy cocktail that you can plan ahead, then relax and enjoy.
02. Batanga
Also known in parts of Mexico as Charro Negro, this is basically a Cuba Libre with Tequila instead of Rum, and a rim of salt. That’s a super helpful comment assuming you know what a Cuba Libre is!
The Batanga is a highball cocktail of Tequila, Cola and fresh lime, served with a salt rim. Effortlessly simple, refreshing and uses ingredients found in virtually every corner store or garage (bodega or gas station). It’s a great recipe to know, and a real crowd pleaser…even if they won’t all admit it!
03. Paloma
This is actually the national drink of Mexico, take that Margarita! Another simple highball cocktail that you can take in a couple of different directions. Firstly, you can follow the recipe here and make it the traditional way using a grapefruit soda and keep life super simple.
Or if you want to get fancy, you can make your own Paloma mix with fresh pink grapefruit juice, a splash of lime juice, a little sugar, a pinch of salt and plenty of sparkling water! Mix it up to your taste and bottle or serve in a punch bowl, and your guests can add to their Tequila and ice.
04. Tequila Rickey (AKA Ranch Water)
The Ranch Water is a West Texan modern classic and probably one the easiest Tequila cocktails to make. Simply take a bottle of Topo Chico, drink a little of the water then add a couple of ounces of Tequila and the juice of half a lime. The perfect cocktail for outdoor hangs around the bbq or pizza oven, when ice and nice glassware become a spill and break liability. The Ranch Water is how to drink a cocktail with all the ease and practicality of a bottle of beer.
The combination of spirit, lime and plenty of sparkling water is essentially the famous Rickey cocktail. Invented, originally with Bourbon, by / for lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey in Washington DC in 1883. Legend has it that the concept was simple, stay cooler by ingesting less sugar. The balance of the drink is found by using more sparkling water than other highball cocktails such as the Collins, which use sugar to balance the acidity of citrus juice.
The extra dilution also creates a lower strength cocktail that’s perfect for staying cool, without falling over!
05. Tequila Collins
The Collins is one of the most versatile cocktails on the planet. The base recipe can be adapted by using flavoured syrups or fresh berries that can be stirred in to add colour and flavour.
Sparkling teas can be used to lengthen the recipe instead of sparkling water. Even a splash of cola can be subbed in, like the much maligned Long Island Iced Tea, or especially when using a Whisk(e)y base or a splash of beer makes for a great variation!
So many options, but the most simple variation of course is the switching up the base spirit. As the Collins Is essentially a sparkling lemonade recipe to which you add your favourite booze, the options are endless. The Collins makes for an excellent long Tequila cocktail, as the light, refreshing character of a Collins allows you to really enjoy the flavours of your favourite Tequila rather than them being buried under other strong flavours.
06. Tequila Buck
Like the Collins, this is a brilliantly adaptable recipe. You may not know the Buck by name, but you’ve probably heard of famous members of the Buck family such as the Moscow Mule and the Dark n’ Stormy.
The format is simple, a tall serve of spirit, fresh citrus and ginger ale / beer served on the rocks. Either follow the classic version Gin Buck recipe and replace the Gin with Tequila, or if you prefer a more spicy drink, switch in ginger beer for ginger ale. You can also switch out lemon juice for lime or even grapefruit juice. The choice really is yours, so get experimenting!
07. TNT
Tequila and Tonic?! Yes, it’s now a thing apparently and its called a TNT! A simple two ingredient tequila cocktail recipe plus the always important garnish. Although simple, this recipe leaves plenty of room for variations.
Assuming you already have a bottle of Tequila you like, you now need to pick a tonic water (this might be different to the tonic you like to use in your G&T), and there are plenty to choose from these days!
We’d recommend mixing your Tequila and chosen tonic at a 3:1 ratio in a highball glass, but mix what tastes best to you and into whatever vessel you have to hand.
Finally pick your garnish. Most people automatically reach for a wedge of lime in a G&T, we like to recommend that you pick the citrus fruit to best suit the Gin! A lot of brands will state the citrus they recommend to better compliment the botanicals in the Gin on their label. We make the same point here with Tequila, you should find what suits the spirit and your palate. As you can tell from this list of recipes, Tequila works with all sorts of citrus fruits, so test out lemon, lime or grapefruit. Slices, squeezed wedges, twists or a combination of them all. You might even like to try a combination of citrus garnishes to brighten up your TnT!
What Tequila should I buy?
If your mouth is watering by simply reading all of these delicious Tequila cocktail recipes but you don’t have a bottle of Tequila or don’t know which one to buy. Like with other spirits, we have recommendations of a few of our personal favorites for you to try in our Tequila Guide.
Also, here is a little cheat sheet of approximately how many Tequila cocktails you’ll get from different sized bottles of Tequila!
As always, don’t forget to show us what you made by tagging us!
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