Certain cocktails often give specific types of alcohol a bad rep, and for tequila, it's the margarita. Often an overly sweet mess, the margarita has been claimed by white people to celebrate a holiday that they're not quite sure the significance of, but hey, nobody's gonna turn down an excuse to get drunk.
For Mexicans, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of victory over the French at the battle of Puebla. Led by general Ignacio Zaragoza, the Mexican army was able to force the retreat of a French army which the rest of the world thought to be unbeatable. For many Americans, Cinco de Mayo has a different significance. It means donning a sombrero, shaking a maraca, and attempting to dance merengue with an exotic woman who's out of your league. But it doesn't have to mean a sugar-saturated, salt-rimmed, slushy drink.
Tequila was the one of the first indigenous liquors to the Americas and has held its popularity ever since its creation in the 16th century near the town of, you guessed it, Tequila. Made from fermented agave, tequila has a very distinct, strong taste, one that people often try to mask with sweetness (see margaritas). However, it's a surprisingly versatile liquor that pairs well with multiple ingredients, and one you can make a lot of really good cocktails with it. These tequila cocktails will not only impress your friends far more than a margarita slushie that you threw together in your blender could, but will also make you feel like a true master of the art.
Don't get us wrong, we're a fan of the ubiquitous cocktail, but variety is the Adobo of life. Just remember, if you ever find yourself with some Patron, you don't have to make 7/11 soda slurpee of cocktails. So get a little inventive this weekend, and dare to think outside of the frozen margarita machine: Here are recipes for the best Tequila Drinks That Aren't Margaritas.