Carlos Bastarache: tequila-grid-uproxx.jpg

see how I told my boss to take this job and shove it!

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Oh, tequila. We have such an up and down relationship. In college, you and your shenanigans made for some less-than-fun mornings. As the years have progressed, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for you, your flavor, your craft, and the cocktails that you star in. I’m glad we sorted things out; happy that I risked loving again.

The most popular native spirit of Mexico (sorry mezcal), tequila is made from distilling the juice from the blue agave plant. Like Cognac — which is only made in the area around Cognac, France — tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco (and smaller quantities in a few other states), in the area around the city of Tequila. It can be enjoyed straight, in shot form, with lime and salt (and a chaser of sangrita if you’re truly authentic), or in a cocktail, like the famous margarita.

Ol’ Jimmy Buffet’s favorite cocktail is made with tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and triple sec. Sometimes it’s served as a regular mixed drink and other times it’s served as a frozen drink in the vein of the frozen daiquiri or pina colada. But, if you truly want to embrace the tequila spirit, you’ll progress past the basic margarita. There’s a whole world of tequila-based cocktails awaiting you.

Check out some of the best below:

Tequila Sour

This cocktail is very similar to the classic whiskey sour with lemon juice and simple syrup. The only real difference is that this drink contains tequila instead of the usual whiskey, but flavor-wise that’s a significant shift.

Malcolm Lowry

This drink — named for the British writer and poet — is made up of tequila, rum, triple sec, and lemon juice. It’s all shaken and strained into cocktails glass just as the writer of Under the Volcano would have wanted.

Tequila Daisy

The Tequila Daisy is similar to some of the other cocktails on this list — in that it has very few ingredients in an effort to let the tequila shine. This cocktail contains the aforementioned tequila as well as Grenadine, muddled fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and club soda. It’s light, airy, and every bit as refreshing as your marg.

Tequila Smash

One of the more popular cocktail styles in the last few years is the “smash.” This version uses tequila as the main ingredient along with muddled fruit, an herb (often basil or mint), and various other ingredients depending on the recipe.

Paloma

If the margarita is the top dog of the tequila-based cocktail world, then the Paloma is a close second. This refreshing cocktail is made with tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, sugar, and club soda. Another bright, light cocktail perfect for the heat.

Firing Squad

This classic cocktail’s origins can be traced back to the 1930s. But, the combination of tequila, lime juice, grenadine, and angostura bitters is still popular today.

El Diablo

The El Diablo is aptly named because it’s got plenty of kick. More or less the Mexican alternative to the Moscow Mule, the El Diablo is made with tequila, lime, crème de cassis, and ginger beer.

Tequila Sunrise

This simple, delicious cocktail made up of tequila, grenadine, and orange juice has been around since the 1930s. But, it gained in popularity when the Rolling Stones spent so much of their 1972 tour drinking the cocktail that people began calling it the “Tequila Sunrise Tour”.