If you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year, then you need some tasty beverages to round out your menu. Although there are many drinks you can serve, margaritas are more or less required. But if you’re unsure about your talents as a mixologist, no worries. There are many margarita hacks to make your Cinco de Mayo much better.
Whether you like your margaritas classic, frozen, flavored, or non-alcoholic, these tips have you covered. There is a recipe sure to suit every taste. Best of all, they are all pretty simple to throw together — the most complicated part may be operating your blender.
In general, you will need some limes, tequila, and triple sec. Also, you will need coarse salt for the rim. (I learned this the hard way in college: table salt and plastic cups cannot make a passable margarita. It just produces a distinct grinding noise and nothing sticks to the rim). Beyond that, though, you can mix it up with different fruit flavors and even jalapeños to keep things interesting. Feeling fancy? Throw some lime slices in that glass to make your drink Instagram-worthy. Whatever food you serve, it will be a thousand times tastier with one of these drinks in your hand.
1
Add Peppers
Why not spice up your icy beverage? A Cozy Kitchen's recipe for a spicy rhubarb margarita includes jalapeños and a syrup made from fresh rhubarb. It's the hottest cool drink you'll have this year.
2
Spike It With Strawberries
What special ingredient should you add to your margaritas? Strawberry sparkling wine. Yes, as A Pretty Life in the Suburb recommends, a strawberry fresita-rita is a super-sweet take on the traditional drink. It's like a grown-up strawberry slushie.
3
Experiment With Tart Cherries
Tart cherries are an on-trend and delicious addition to any drink. The simple recipe for tart cherry margaritas from Ari's Menu is sure to be a hit at any Cinco de Mayo party. You might want to make a double batch: it goes fast!
4
Perfect The Classic
If you're yearning for a classic margarita — and sometimes you just don't want to deviate from the standard of perfection — A Spicy Perspective has you covered. Their best margarita recipe gives you the perfect proportions of tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and more to whip up delicious drinks any time. These are best enjoyed poolside.
5
Skip The Alcohol
Even if you aren't feeling the alcohol, you can still enjoy the flavors of a margarita. This raspberry lime margarita fizz drink from Averie Cooks only has five calories, so there is basically no reason to skip it. This is probably the only version that you can safely enjoy at the office.
6
Add Oranges
Do you prefer frozen drinks? This orange blossom margarita from Tori Avey uses plenty of freshly squeezed orange juice to make a tasty icy drink. Give your blender a workout.
7
Use Fresh Limes
Sure, the bottled stuff is easy, but it's best to squeeze those limes fresh. Refinery29 suggests investing in a citrus press if you're making a whole batch of margaritas. (As if there is any other way to make them.)
8
Spice It Up
Is regular salt too boring for you? Follow this advice from Real Simple and rim the glass with a mix of salt and cayenne pepper to kick things up a notch. Bring on the heat!
9
Add Basil
Garnishes will take your drinks to the next level. Use this tip from the New York Times and add a sprig of basil to your margaritas. Now you and your crew can toast to your fanciness.
