Mexican Firing Squad recipe
Tequila, lime, grenadine, and bitters create a vivid, spicy-leaning Margarita cousin from Mexico City.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Rocks glass ·
Time: 4 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Sidecar Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Blanco Tequila
- 3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 3/4 oz Grenadine
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
How to make a Mexican Firing Squad
- Add tequila, lime juice, grenadine, and bitters to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12 seconds.
- Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
- Serve immediately while the lime is bright.
Garnish
Lime wheel.
Pro tip
Grenadine needs acidity and real pomegranate flavor. If yours is sweet and artificial, reduce it to 1/2 oz and add a bar spoon of pomegranate molasses.
History of the Mexican Firing Squad
The Mexican Firing Squad was documented by Charles H. Baker Jr. after drinking at La Cucaracha Cocktail Club in Mexico City in the 1930s. It is a serious, bitters-driven tequila sour, not a novelty pink drink.
Flavour profile
Tequila, Lime, Pomegranate, Spice
Variations
- Smoky Firing Squad — Split the base between tequila and mezcal.
- Firing Squad Highball — Build over ice and top with soda.
- Spicy Firing Squad — Add one thin jalapeño slice to the shaker.
Practise making the Mexican Firing Squad in the free Virtual Bar game.