Category — Tequila

Classic cocktails continue to resurface in speakeasy-style cocktail bars in select cities across the country. One such drink is the tequila cocktail, El Diablo, which appeared in Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink as early as 1946.

The cocktail combines the classic pairing of tequila and lime with Creme de Cassis—a sweet blackcurrant liqueur—and ginger ale, which back in the 1940s tasted more like the spicy ginger beer of today.

Here’s a recipe for the Diablo cocktail, as provided by Maestro DOBEL tequila:

El Diablo

1 ½ oz tequila
½ oz Creme de Cassis
1 lime wedge
Ginger beer

Combine tequila and crème de cassis with ice; shake and strain into a chilled rocks glass. Top with ginger beer, squeeze the lime wedge and garnish.

Canned cocktails from El Jimador Tequila are coming to stores this month.  Beginning in California, and then rolling out to the rest of the country by late spring, El Jimador’s “New Mix” cocktails will be available in three varieties: Paloma, which is a drink comprised of tequila, grapefruit soda and lime, Margarita and Spicy Mango Margarita.

El Jimador New Mix cocktails were introduced to the Mexican market in 1997, apparently with much success, so it will be interesting to see if U.S. consumers embrace the concept.  I would imagine the canned cocktails will be most popular with the younger set, more interested in price and convenience than fresh squeezed juices.  But at 5% ABV, they’re an alternative to canned beer, and the ready-to-drink nature will be attractive to the scores of drinkers not interested in making their own cocktails.

From El Jimador –

el Jimador Tequila is breaking new ground in the U.S. spirits industry by offering the first authentic tequila cocktail in a can. Beginning in December with California then rolling out to the remainder of the U.S. by late spring, the number one selling ready-to-drink tequila cocktail in Mexico, el Jimador “NEW MIX”, will be available where spirits are sold in a single serving or four-pack of cans.

“el Jimador NEW MIX was introduced in 1997 and quickly became the top selling RTD in Mexico,” said John Hayes, managing director for Casa Herradura, the maker of el Jimador NEW MIX. “Because of the popularity of NEW MIX in Mexico and the increasing call for tequila in the U.S., it was an easy decision to bring NEW MIX to the U.S.”

Made with el Jimador Tequila, NEW MIX will be available in three refreshing cocktails: the Paloma, the most popular tequila cocktail in Mexico, the Margarita, the #1 requested cocktail in the U.S., and the Spicy Mango Margarita, which blends a nice mix of sweet heat. Each cocktail comes in a 12-ounce can at 5% ABV, similar to most beers.

“NEW MIX delivers a premium alternative to beer in a true spirit-based, readymade cocktail that consumers have been looking for,” said Carrie Kleban, global marketing director for Casa Herradura.  “NEW MIX makes it easy to enjoy the perfect pour of your favorite tequila cocktail at barbeques, tailgating, or sitting by the pool.”

With the U.S. launch, NEW MIX will receive a new look and an advertising campaign to introduce the brand.

“NEW MIX in the U.S. will feature a slightly different can design than in Mexico, plus will receive an energetic advertising campaign that builds on the black and white iconography success of the el Jimador Tequila campaign,” she said. “The U.S. cans position the el Jimador brand name more prominently to reinforce the tequila in the cocktail as well as the 21+ responsibility message.”

With more people entertaining at home, NEW MIX offers a refreshing alternative to the norm and is a perfect addition to your cooler.

Many drinkers have one liquor they just cannot stomach.  The one spirit from their past in which they “had a bad experience.”  For me, and many others, that liquor is tequila.  It was not until a trip to Boston’s Drink, one of the country’s best cocktail bars, that my attitude toward tequila was fully changed.

Misty Kalkofan, a bartender at Drink, created the Maximilan Affair, a complex, tasty little treat wrapped in a tequila package.  Made with tequila, St. Germain—an elderflower liqueur—Punt e Mes vermouth and fresh lemon juice, the Maximilian Affair might just change your opinion about tequila too.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ ounces mescal or tequila
¾ ounce St. Germain
½ ounce Punt e Mes (or other sweet vermouth if you cannot find Punt e Mes)
¼ ounce fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Don’t worry, you won’t find any tea in this hard-hitting collection of booze.

Ingredients:

1 part each of vodka, tequila, gin, rum and triple sec
1 part lemon juice
Cola
Lemon slice

Directions:

Shake vodka, tequila, gin, rum, triple sec and lemon juice with ice. Pour into a highball glass. Top with cola, and garnish with a lemon slice.

Our country’s bird in cocktail form.

Ingredients:

2 ounces tequila
1 ounce pink grapefruit juice
½ ounce cranberry juice
½ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce lime juice

Directions:

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a martini glass.

For anyone who’s ever downed a shot of tequila and thought, “this could use a dash of hot sauce,” then the new Tabasco brand Spicy Tequila might be for you. Per a licensing agreement between Heaven Hill Distilleries and McIlhenny Company, creator of Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce, Tabasco Spicy Tequila promises to “Heat up the night.”

The tequila has a clean, clear to light yellow appearance, and the unmistakable aroma of hot peppers. The first taste shows a slight tequila sweetness and decent hint of Tabasco flavor. The peppery burn coats the tongue and increases with time, lingering in the mouth for nearly a full minute. The pronounced pepper flavor dominates the palate, but its natural, non-chemical taste is balanced with enough tequila flavor to result in a very pleasant experience.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Tabasco Spicy Tequila is quite good, especially for flavored tequila—a category often marred by overly sweet creations that entirely mask the tequila flavor. This new spirit will likely be popular with young tequila drinkers looking for fun shots at the bar, but its versatility in cocktails is where its flavor really shines. It’s perfect in a Bloody Maria and adds a flavorful, spicy kick to margaritas.

Proof: 40 percent Alcohol by Volume
Price: $22 for 750ml bottle

Tabasco Spicy Tequila Cocktail Recipes

Bloody Maria

2 ounces Tabasco Spicy Tequila
4 ounces tomato juice or bloody mary mix
Dash of celery salt and black pepper
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into highball glass. Garnish with lemon wedge and celery stalk.

Spicy Margarita

2 ounces Tabasco Spicy Tequila
1 ounce Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
½ ounce fresh lime juice
Salt

Dip rim of glass into salt. Shake ingredients with ice and strain over ice into margarita glass. Garnish with a lime.