Tequila Cocktails
Tequila is the base of four cocktails here, and every one of them is decided by the same two choices: which bottle you pour and how much fresh lime goes in. Below are all of them, from the 2:1:1 Margarita to the grapefruit-driven Paloma, with the bottle each one wants and how strong it actually lands.
Every recipe below lists tequila or mezcal among its ingredients, so nothing here is a tequila drink in name only.
Choosing the tequila
100% agave or nothing. A bottle labelled tequila only has to be 51% agave; the rest can be corn syrup, and that is what leaves the harsh, sweet aftertaste people blame on the spirit. Look for 100% de agave on the label: those bottles are distilled from blue Weber agave alone and usually bottled at 38–40% ABV (76–80 proof).
Blanco, reposado or añejo. Blanco — unaged, or rested under two months — is the right call for a Margarita or a Paloma: it keeps the green agave note and lets lime and grapefruit work. Reposado spends two months to a year in oak and brings vanilla and a softer edge, which suits a Paloma built on grapefruit soda but muddies a Margarita. Añejo spends one to three years in wood, and its tannins fight citrus: it is a sipping tequila.
Strength and salt. At 40% ABV a 2:1:1 Margarita sits near 30% ABV before shaking and about 25% after 15 seconds on ice — roughly two standard drinks. Salt only the outside of half the rim, with fine sea salt: coarse flakes fall into the drink and make the last sip bitter.
Frequently asked questions
Which tequila is best for a Margarita?
Blanco, 100% agave, around 40% ABV. Reposado works, but its oak competes with the lime; a mixto bottle is the usual reason a home Margarita tastes sharp and sweet at the same time.
Does a Paloma need an expensive tequila?
Less than a Margarita does. Grapefruit soda covers a lot of ground, so a solid blanco is enough — keep the special bottle for drinks where the spirit is not competing with sugar and bubbles.
How much alcohol is in a Margarita?
A classic 2:1:1 serve uses 60 ml of tequila, 30 ml of orange liqueur and 30 ml of lime. Shaken and diluted that lands around 25% ABV, which is about two standard drinks in one glass.
Other collections
Same library, grouped by what is in the glass.