Nine Tequila Cocktails Beyond the Margarita

Courtesy Andrew Olsen, bar manager, Bluestem, Kansas City, Missouri

At Bluestem, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, the cocktail program echoes the straightforward aesthetic of a kitchen that’s heralded for its New American fare.

“My goal is to not compromise the base flavor of the spirits we select,” says Bar Manager Andrew Olsen. “I want to showcase the flavors and make them really shine.”

Olsen built this cocktail around ­Tequila Ocho Plata, a producer that makes single-­estate, single-vintage Tequilas. (Although if you swap in your favorite blanco Tequila, we won’t tell.)

“Like coffee and wine, Tequila has a lot to do with terroir,” Olsen says.

The drink riffs on two classics, the Paloma, spiked with grapefruit and Tequila, and Italy’s refreshing, slushie-style Sgroppino. Sparkling wine helps aerate the drink, creating a light, almost fluffy texture. The end result: a frozen drink for grown-ups to savor.

*Bluestem makes its housemade grenadine from equal parts pomegranate juice and cane sugar, but you can substitute a quality commercial version like Small Hands Foods Grenadine Syrup—look for pomegranate in the list of ingredients.

Courtesy Alberto Battaglini, general manager/mixologist, S.Y.Kitchen, Santa Ynez, CA

Think of this cocktail as a fall-friendly margarita that incorporates the herbaceous freshness of blanco Tequila and draws in rich notes of fresh, in-season figs. It’s ideal to bridge the early autumnal days when it’s no longer frozen margarita weather, but also too mild to break out the Cognac and other darker, warming spirits.

When Figs Fly

Figs are in season twice a year. The first, or “breba” season, is during the first few weeks in June. The second, or “new wood” season, lasts longer, typically from August through October. The most common variety is the sweet Black Mission fig, followed by mild Brown Turkish and Green Kadota. The Kadota is nearly seedless, which makes it ideal for cocktails. Can’t find fresh figs? Add fig preserves, purée or jam into the cocktail shaker instead.

Courtesy Paul McGee, Lost Lake, Chicago

Once considered an obscure tropical drink, the Jungle Bird has become one of the most popular on the tiki bar circuit. The original, made with dark rum, pineapple and Campari, was invented in 1978 at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton.

Tiki bars are all about dramatic, over-the-top drinks and presentation. At Chicago’s Lost Lake, perhaps today’s most-lauded tiki bar, the Jungle Bird adds a few more feathers to its exotic plumage. Tequila (with mezcal in a supporting role) replaces rum, ruby Port adds depth and glow, and passion fruit syrup ups the tropical fruit factor.

Although bartender Paul McGee usually presents his Surfing Bird in a huge bowl to serve six thirsty revelers, this drink is pared down to a single serving.

Recipe courtesy Nick Digiovanni, Publico, St. Louis

Cold brew coffee matches up well with the bracing bitterness of amaros, like Campari. This complex sipper mingles bitter, sweet and spicy notes all in one glass.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Burns, beverage director, Spoke & Steele, Indianapolis

As the finishing touch to this sweet-and-spicy sipper, Burns sets a cedar plank on the bar and ignites it with a blowtorch. After the wood has blackened a bit and the cedar’s char scents the air, he traps smoke from the cedar plank under a coupe glass while preparing the drink in a beaker, which is then placed on the plank next to the coupe. The guest is presented with the plank, turns over the smoke-filled glass and fills it.

Recipe courtesy bartender Mike Jones, Sable Kitchen & Bar, Chicago

“This is a light and refreshing beer cocktail (reminiscent of a shandy) inspired by a classic Moscow Mule,” Jones explains. “The smokiness of the mezcal is balanced by the honey, while the cucumbers add a refreshing balance to the ginger.”

Recipe courtesy head bartender Brandon Lockman, Red Star Tavern, Portland, Oregon

A cross between two classic cocktails—the Tequila-spiked paloma and the Moscow Mule—the end result is remarkably refreshing.

Courtesy Adam Bernbach, bar director, 2 Birds 1 Stone, Washington, DC

For your next margarita, skip the salt rim. Instead, try Washington, DC, bartender Adam Bernbach’s trick: Add pickle brine.

It’s inspired by the Texas tradition of splashing savory olive brine into the drink, where it’s dubbed a “Texas Martini” or “Mexican Martini.” Bernbach opts for pickle brine from a local producer, Gordy’s, which sells it by the can, but you can use a spoonful of brine from your favorite pickles. “It’s that much more refreshing with the salt in the drink, rather than on the rim,” he says.

At his subterranean bar 2 Birds 1 Stone, Bernbach is known for his playful approach. He riffs on classic cocktails, designs colorful drink menus and employs a legendary collection of gleefully mismatched vintage glasses scored at flea markets. He suggests using a double Old Fashioned glass to serve his margarita, but says, “I would recommend serving in as ridiculous glassware as one is comfortable with.”

Courtesy Chad Walsh, Agern, New York City

It’s not difficult to make a shrub—a Colonial-era, vinegar-based drink that’s enjoying a revival. Bartenders love fruity, zingy shrubs because of the acidity and bite. They’re generally just three ingredients: sugar, vinegar and fruit (not all shrubs use fruit, but most do). Plan ahead: The drink needs to sit a few days. This refreshing, rosy mix will keep for one month in the refrigerator. You can also use it in salad dressings or as a glaze for meats. At Agern it makes an appearance in mocktail and cocktail form. “It’s delicious with Tequila or vodka,” says Walsh. “Or it can also be fun as a mixer in an Aperol Spritz-style apéritif.”