Sips & Synopsis - This Weeks Makings
🇲🇽 Cinco de Mayo Is Coming... And So Is the Tequila
Hey there, cocktail lovers! 🥂 Cinco de Mayo is rolling in soon with sunshine, spicy snacks, and every excuse to break out the good stuff—aka tequila and mezcal.
We’re skipping the grocery store margarita mix and giving you a next-level fiesta lineup featuring:
✔️ 3 bold, fresh tequila + mezcal cocktails
✔️ A spicy-sweet mocktail so everyone can join the party
✔️ A short story about the Cantarito, Mexico’s ultimate clay cup cocktail
✔️ A true tequila-themed trivia question
✔️ A quote that doubles as a toast to good times and great pours
Let’s get into it—your Cinco deserves better. 🍸
Trivia Question❓
What type of agave plant must be used—by law—to make tequila in Mexico?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter
Drink of the Week
🍉 Drink of the Week: The Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita
Sweet. Spicy. And nothing short of iconic.
This drink was born from a hot afternoon, a leftover chunk of watermelon, and one jalapeño daring us to do something wild. The result? The Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita—a bold, juicy twist on the classic that’ll keep the party going well past sunset.
🍊 Two More Tequila & Mezcal Masterpieces
1. The Cantarito (Mexico’s Citrus Bomb)
A fizzy, citrus-forward favorite straight from the streets of Jalisco.
1.5 oz tequila
0.5 oz orange juice
0.5 oz grapefruit juice
0.5 oz lime juice
Pinch of salt
Top with grapefruit soda (Squirt or Jarritos)
Serve in a traditional clay cup, if you’ve got one
Vibe: Tart, refreshing, and dangerously chuggable.
2. The Mezcal Paloma
Smoky. Citrusy. Sexy.
2 oz mezcal
1 oz grapefruit juice
0.5 oz lime juice
0.5 oz agave syrup
Top with club soda
Garnish: grapefruit wedge + chili salt rim
It’s like a Paloma… but with main-character energy.
🌺 Mocktail Moment: Hibiscus Lime Agua Fresca
Because flavor doesn't need alcohol to show up.
2 cups brewed hibiscus tea, chilled
1 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz agave syrup
Club soda to top
Garnish: lime wheel + edible flower
Pro tip: This mocktail looks like a cocktail—and tastes just as bold.
The Clay Cup Classic
In the town of Tequila (yes, it’s real), you’ll find street vendors serving Cantaritos in wide, red-orange clay mugs. Why clay? It keeps the drink ice cold, adds earthiness, and looks damn good in your hand.
Locals pour tequila over a blend of lime, grapefruit, and orange, sprinkle in salt, and top it all with grapefruit soda and ice. That’s it. No fancy tools, no attitude—just a cocktail made for dancing, laughing, and living a little louder.
If the margarita is the prom queen, the Cantarito is the party you actually want to go to.
"When life gives you limes, make margaritas… or literally anything else with tequila."
💡 Answer to Trivia Question:
Tequila must be made from Blue Weber Agave, and only in specific regions of Mexico like Jalisco. Anything else? That’s mezcal or an imposter.
Closing Time
That’s it for this week, Mixologists! Whether you’re pouring a smoky Paloma, sipping a spicy watermelon marg, or just trying to remember where you left your shaker—you’re doing Cinco de Mayo right.
Just remember: great cocktails are about flavor and fun, not perfection.
So throw on some music, rim those glasses, and let the fiesta begin. 🥳🌮🍹
Salud!
Andrea
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