8 Best Tequila Cocktails Beyond the Margarita (2026 Guide)
Recipes · 2026-08-12 · 12 min read · by Jake
Tequila has had the biggest reputation rehabilitation of any spirit in the past decade. It went from 'the shot that makes you do regrettable things' to a genuinely respected sipping spirit with cocktails that rival anything in the whiskey or gin world.
The key shift: people discovered that good tequila (100% agave, not mixto) is actually complex and delicious. And once you move past the Margarita — which is great, don't get me wrong — there's a whole world of tequila cocktails worth exploring.
Margarita (Done Right)
I'm including this because most people have never had a properly made Margarita. If your only reference is a frozen machine at a Mexican restaurant, you're missing out on one of the world's perfect cocktails.
Two ounces blanco tequila, one ounce fresh lime juice, 3/4 oz Cointreau (not triple sec — Cointreau is drier and more complex). Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Half salt rim — run a lime wedge around half the glass and dip in kosher salt.
The half-rim lets you choose salt or no salt with each sip. Fresh lime juice is absolutely non-negotiable. And please, use Cointreau or another quality orange liqueur — cheap triple sec is basically orange-flavored sugar water.
Paloma
The Paloma is actually more popular than the Margarita in Mexico. It's tequila and grapefruit soda — specifically Squirt or Jarritos Toronja if you can find them. Lighter, more refreshing, and easier to drink all afternoon.
Two ounces blanco tequila, half an ounce fresh lime juice, pinch of salt, fill with grapefruit soda. Build over ice in a highball glass. If you can't find grapefruit soda, use fresh grapefruit juice with a splash of soda water and a touch of simple syrup.
This is Mexico's equivalent of a beer — it's what people drink casually with food, at barbecues, on hot afternoons. It's not trying to be fancy. It's just trying to be cold and refreshing and slightly bitter from the grapefruit.
Tequila Sunrise
The Tequila Sunrise is a 1970s classic that fell out of fashion but honestly still tastes great. The grenadine sinking through the orange juice creates that sunrise gradient that looks impressive with zero effort.
Two ounces tequila, fill with fresh orange juice, drizzle half an ounce of grenadine down the inside of the glass. Don't stir — let the grenadine sink to the bottom and create the layered effect. Cherry garnish.
Make your own grenadine: simmer equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar until the sugar dissolves. The store-bought stuff is just red corn syrup. Real grenadine is tart and complex and makes this drink significantly better.
Ranch Water
Ranch Water is a Texas thing that went national around 2020. It's the simplest tequila cocktail possible: tequila, lime, and Topo Chico mineral water. That's it. Three ingredients, zero technique required.
Two ounces blanco tequila, juice of one lime, fill with Topo Chico (or any good sparkling mineral water). Build over ice in a highball glass. Some people add a pinch of salt.
The mineral water matters more than you'd think. Topo Chico has aggressive carbonation and mineral content that regular seltzer doesn't. It makes the drink feel more substantial. If you can't find Topo Chico, Pellegrino works.
Oaxacan Old Fashioned
This is a modern classic from Phil Ward at Death & Co in New York. It's an Old Fashioned made with tequila and mezcal, and it's one of the best cocktails invented in the past 20 years.
1.5 oz reposado tequila, half an ounce mezcal, a barspoon of agave syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Stir with ice, strain over a large cube. Flame an orange peel over the top — hold a match under the peel and squeeze so the oils ignite in a brief flash.
The mezcal adds just enough smoke to make it interesting without overwhelming the tequila. If you've never tried mezcal in a cocktail, this is the place to start. Del Maguey Vida is the standard cocktail mezcal.
Tommy's Margarita
Created at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, this is the Margarita stripped to its purest form: tequila, lime, and agave syrup. No orange liqueur. It's become the preferred Margarita spec for many bartenders because it lets the tequila shine.
Two ounces blanco tequila, one ounce fresh lime juice, half an ounce agave syrup. Shake with ice, strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. That's it.
The agave syrup (agave nectar thinned with a little water) echoes the agave in the tequila, creating this harmonious loop of flavor. It's a subtle difference from a regular Margarita but once you notice it, you can't un-notice it.
Spicy Margarita
The spicy Margarita has become one of the most ordered cocktails in America. The heat from jalapeno plays incredibly well with lime and tequila — it's bright, refreshing, and has a slow burn that builds with each sip.
Muddle 2-3 slices of fresh jalapeno in your shaker (remove seeds for less heat, keep them for more). Add 2 oz blanco tequila, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 3/4 oz agave syrup, and half an ounce Cointreau. Shake hard with ice, double strain into a rocks glass over ice. Tajin rim optional.
Start with fewer jalapeno slices than you think you need. You can always add heat but you can't take it away. Two slices with seeds removed gives a pleasant warmth. Four slices with seeds is genuinely spicy.
Tequila Buying Guide
Always buy 100% agave. If the label doesn't say '100% agave' or '100% de agave,' it's mixto — meaning up to 49% of the sugar came from non-agave sources. Mixto tequila is what gives you hangovers and regrets.
For cocktails, blanco (unaged) tequila is usually best. It's clean, agave-forward, and doesn't fight with citrus and sweeteners. Espolon Blanco, Olmeca Altos, and Cimarron are all excellent and under $30.
Reposado (aged 2-12 months) works great in stirred drinks like the Oaxacan Old Fashioned where you want some barrel character. Anejo (aged 1-3 years) is for sipping, not mixing — the barrel flavors get lost in cocktails.