Essential Tequila Cocktails

Jul 15, 2025

World Tequila Day is in July, and Diageo Bar Academy has your back, with the essential Tequila info that you need to make delicious tequila cocktails for your guests.

What is Tequila?

Tequila is a spirit made from the Blue Agave plant in one of 5 regions of Mexico. You should expect tequila to show pronounced flavours and aromas of the Blue Agave. The Mexican Government tightly monitors tequila production to ensure its high standards and quality, and the spirit is steeped in tradition, rooted in hundreds of years of Mexican heritage.

There are two kinds of Tequila: 100% Agave and “Mixto” Tequila.

100% Agave Tequila is made from 100% Blue Agave (pictured above). The Blue Agave is used to provide the sugars that are necessary for fermentation at the start of the tequila-making process.

Mixto Tequila is made from at least 51% Blue agave, with the remainder coming from other sugar sources.

Blue Agave takes 7-10 years to mature sufficiently before it can be harvested for use in Tequila, so it’s a time-consuming and costly process, but the product is worth it. 100% Agave will provide pronounced Agave flavours and aromas that we’re looking for in our drinks.

There are also some labelling terms that you’ll see when looking at a bottle of Tequila

Blanco – Unaged Tequila with no minimum ageing requirements. This shows the purest expression of the agave.

Oro – Unaged tequila with no minimum ageing requirements. (Mixto only) Any colour in this tequila will be coming from additives.

Reposado – Tequila aged for at least 60 days and up to 1 year. Reposado will have a balance of agave characteristics with some character from its short ageing.

Anejo – Tequila aged for at least 1 year. Anejo balances the Agave aromas with well-defined character from oak and maturation.

Extra Anejo – Tequila aged for at least 3 years. Extra Anejo showcases Agave characteristics alongside pronounced flavours from Oak and extended maturation.

With all that said, let’s get to the cocktails. Here are our essential Tequila cocktails to share with your guests.

Tommy’s Margarita

 

This version of the Marg brings in Agave syrup in place of triple sec, creating a pure expression of agave.

60 ml Don Julio Blanco

30 ml Fresh Lime Juice

15 ml Agave Syrup

Shake with cubed ice and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. This traditionally isn't served with a salt rim, so garnish with a lime wedge.

Approx 1.8 Std Drinks

 

Margarita

 

The classic formula is classic for a reason; there’s no need to play favourites with drinks this delicious!

45 ml Don Julio Blanco

20 ml Fresh Lime Juice

20 ml Triple Sec

5 ml Agave Syrup

It's a good idea to check if your guest prefers it served straight up or on the rocks.

Shake with cubed ice and strain into your preferred glass. Garnish with a half salt rim.

Approx. 1.8 Std Drinks

Paloma

Known as one of the most popular cocktails in Mexico, this version uses fresh juice in place of a canned Grapefruit soda.

45 ml Don Julio Reposado

30 ml Pink Grapefruit Juice

15 ml Fresh Lime Juice

5 ml Agave Syrup

Top with Soda Water

Shake the first four ingredients with ice and strain into a tall glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with a slice of Pink Grapefruit.

Approx 1.4 Std Drinks

Toreador

This riff on the classic Margarita swaps Apricot Brandy for Triple sec.

45 ml Don Julio Blanco

20 ml Fresh Lime Juice

20 ml Apricot Brandy

5 ml Agave Syrup

Shake the ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. No Garnish.

Approx. 1.7 Std Drinks

Oaxaca Old Fashioned

This twist on the Old Fashioned uses Reposado Tequila and Mezcal (another Agave Spirit made in Mexico that often has a smoky character thanks to its traditional style of production).

45 ml Don Julio Reposado

15 ml Casamigos Mezcal

10 ml Agave Syrup

2 Dashes Bitters

Stir the ingredients with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice (use a large block if you have one). Garnish with a flamed orange zest.

Key Takeaways

• Ensure you’re working with 100% Agave Tequila to get the maximum Agave character.

• There are lots of Tequila cocktails to master. Start with these and branch out from there!

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