32 Tequila Cocktail Recipes to Sip All Summer Long
Hear us out: We're allllll for a classic margarita. But if the only tequila drinks you've ever had starred lime juice and a salt rim, it’s about time you expanded your horizons. Tequila is a blue agave-based spirit that hails from Mexico; silver tequila is famous for its earthy, semi-sweet flavor, while aged reposado and añejo tequilas are beloved for their oaky, mellow notes. From tart palomas to spicy jalapeño margs to sweet rosé sangria, here are 32 refreshing tequila cocktail recipes to try at home.
1. Paloma Fizz
Shake up this sparkling grapefruit and tequila fizz in mere minutes. (We’re total suckers for coupe glasses and edible flower garnishes, BTW.)
2. Rhubarb Mint Margarita with Jalapeño Tequila
Unleash your inner mixologist with this elevated cocktail. It combines jalapeño-infused tequila with homemade rhubarb-mint simple syrup.
3. Tequila Sunrise Mimosa
We won’t judge if you drink tequila with brunch. There is orange juice involved, after all.
4. Skinny Jalapeño Watermelon Margarita
The skinny marg is here to stay, so let's put a new spin on it, shall we? Try Coterie member Monique Volz’s recipe with muddled jalapeño and fresh watermelon juice.
5. Papaya Mango Frozen Margarita Cocktail
You don’t have to journey to a Caribbean resort for a killer frozen cocktail. Coterie member Aida Mollenkamp's tropical recipe is proof.
6. Spring Garden Margarita
Tequila may love fruit, but it also pairs beautifully with fresh herbs and vegetables. Case in point: This cucumber-mint cocktail with snap peas, wildflower honey, black pepper and an edible flower garnish.
7. Summertime Rosé Tequila Sangria
If two summer beverages were ever meant to marry, it’s tequila and rosé. Their union produces this next-level sangria bursting with strawberries and peaches, plus the sweet herbal notes of basil.
8. Watermelon-Cucumber Kombucha Cooler
Making your own watermelon kombucha takes about an hour—but it's totally worth it. Coterie member Phoebe Lapine says the tequila is optional, but we beg to differ.
9. Blood-Orange Thyme Paloma Cocktail
We’ll sip a classic paloma any time of year, but this one (made with bubbly blood orange soda) would be particularly refreshing when the weather's warm.
10. Frozen Margarita Ice Pops
Nothing says summer quite like an ice pop. And if you’re over 21, we suggest you make it a boozy one.
11. Skinny Blackberry Margarita
The secret to the sweet-and-savory aspect of this blackberry margarita? Coating the rim in both sugar and salt.
12. Passionfruit Margarita
Keep the bartending to a minimum with this three-ingredient cocktail. Make the lime simple syrup in advance—that way, you won't have to wait for it to cool come happy hour.
13. Salted Watermelon Paloma
Aka summer in a glass. The key is blending fresh watermelon until smooth, then straining the juice. (P.S.: If you don't know how to cut a watermelon, we've got you covered.)
14. Watermelon Basil Colada
Hi there, summer crush. It's sort of like an herbaceous, watermelon-infused piña colada that calls for tequila instead of rum. Thanks, Coterie member Jodi Moreno.
15. Tequila Old Fashioned
Replacing traditional rye whiskey with reposado tequila gives this classic sipper a smoky, citrusy twist.
16. Tequila Rosé Spritz
This beauty has Mother's Day written all over it, from the Himalayan pink salt rim to the chopped strawberries.
17. Pineapple-Lime Beer Margaritas
Fresh pineapple juice + silver tequila + Mexican lager = the most refreshing sweet-and-sour summer bev of all time.
18. 5-Calorie Raspberry Lime Margarita Fizz
Yup, you read that right. The secret to this virgin recipe is combining raspberry-lime sparkling water with sugar-free margarita mix. All that's missing is two fingers of tequila (which, yes, will take it over the five-calorie mark, but...worth it).
19. Ginger Beer Mexican Mule
Make the trip from Moscow to Jalisco by trading vodka for blanco tequila. Its earthy notes pair gorgeously with the spicy ginger beer and jalapeño pepper.
20. Peach Margarita
Go above and beyond by blending your own peach purée from scratch...or save time by using store-bought. It'll be our little secret.
21. Raspberry Rose Tequila Kombucha
Oh, you fancy, huh? Give this drink all the floral notes it deserves by making your own rose water at home (it's easier than you'd think).
22. Classic Cantarito Cocktail
Also called the cazuela cocktail, this drink is sort of a mashup between a margarita and a paloma. It's less boozy than the former and less sweet than the latter, thanks to using three different types of citrus juice and grapefruit soda.
23. Blackberry Tequila Lemon Cooler
Not a fan of blackberries? Feel free to swap in raspberries, blueberries, cherries or even peaches—the four-ingredient recipe is beyond forgiving and flexible.
24. Tequila Sunrise
Proof that a little grenadine goes a long, long way. Your Instagram followers truly won't be able to keep themselves from double-tapping this classic.
25. Sparkling Strawberry Basil Limeade with Tequila
If you're pulling out all the stops, look no further than the tequila-lime ice cubes. They're as simple as chopping strawberries and limes, placing the pieces in an ice tray, filling the holes with lime juice and tequila and freezing.
26. Orange Turmeric Margaritas
You only need to work with turmeric once to figure out how easily it can stain your clothes and surfaces. Mix the cocktails on a baking sheet to save yourself the mess.
27. Aperol Paloma
A splash of aperol turns the citrus factor up a few dozen notches, giving the cocktail a pleasantly robust, bitter orange flavor.
28. Frozen Mango Mojito-Rita
Bust out the blender for this one: Things are about to get frosty. Sweet frozen mango and acidic lime juice enhance the flavor of the fresh mint, while also curbing its intensity.
29. Fresh Fig Margaritas
Fair warning: You'll want to drink the three-ingredient fig simple syrup straight from the bottle. All it takes is water, sugar, fresh figs and lavender buds.
30. Mezcal Aperol Spritz
Sure, this recipe calls for mezcal—an agave-based Mexican spirit known for its smokiness—but tequila is an excellent substitute in this cocktail. Trust.
31. Pineapple Mint Julep Margarita
We know what you'll be sipping during the Kentucky Derby...
32. Tequila-Spiked Horchata
You know and love this iconic spiced rice milk drink. One sip of this grown-up rendition and you'll be transported straight to a Mexican beach.