What are the best mixers for tequila?
- Soda
- Grapefruit Soda
- Ginger Ale
- Lime
- Pineapple Juice
- Orange Juice
- Agave Syrup
- Vermouth
- Tomato Juice
- Lemonade
Tequila isn’t just for shots and margaritas — there are so many things you can combine with this spirit to make a flavorful and refreshing drink!
If you’re looking for some new ways to enjoy your favorite tequila, then keep reading. We’ve prepared a list of the best mixers for tequila. Some of them might even already be in your refrigerator!
Soda
This mixer is probably the gold standard of all two-ingredient tequila cocktails. Any kind of soda can work, but we recommend using a seltzer that has high mineral content! This is perfect for making a drink that has some bite, an intriguing sweetness, and light bitter notes. Garnish your cocktail with a wedge of citrus — like lime or orange — for some brightness!
Grapefruit Soda
Adding a grapefruit soda to your tequila will essentially make a Paloma, which is one of the most popular ways to enjoy this spirit. It’s citrusy and subtly bitter. Depending on your preference, you can use this mixer with a blanco — like our Cenote Premium Blanco if you prefer to keep this drink light and crisp! For a garnish, we recommend a fat wedge of lime (which you can also squeeze into the drink) and a pinch of sea salt.
Ginger Ale
Ginger ale is another great mixer for tequila. Using this and adding in some lime will make a Mexican Mule, which is a surprisingly delicate but tasty cocktail! Our Herencia de Plata Tequila Reposado is the perfect pick for this one, as it makes it a more rich cocktail, with oaky and vanilla notes.
Lime
Lime is the classic companion for any tequila. It offers a burst of sourness and acidity that offsets tequila’s fiery bite. It also creates a nice sweetness that helps play off the more subtle flavors in older tequilas. An añejo like this bottle from Corralejo goes great with just a squeeze of lime and a large ice cube.
Pineapple Juice
Another mixer on our list is pineapple juice. Like lime, it has plenty of sourness and citrus to go well with tequila. Together, they can create a cocktail that is tropical, peppery, and a touch of green.
For this one, we recommend using freshly cut pineapple to achieve the brightest and tartest cocktail! Top it off with some seltzer, and mix in literally any tequila — be it a blanco, reposado, or añejo — to create the perfect summer cocktail.
Orange Juice
Combine some orange juice and tequila to make a tequila Screwdriver — a great breakfast cocktail! Even if you use bottled orange juice, this mixer makes your tequila into something light and very easy to drink. If you do decide to use this mixer, we recommend pairing it with a tequila reposado, as its vanilla notes pair deliciously with orange.
Agave Syrup
Mix some agave syrup and tequila together, and you basically have a tequila version of an Old Fashioned. All you need to make it is a mixing glass, a bar spoon, agave syrup (mixed two parts agave to one part water), and a bottle of your favorite tequila.
We highly recommend tequila reposado or añejo for this mixer, as they have deeper and more flavorful profiles. But, a blanco tequila will still taste great as the base of this cocktail!
Vermouth
Tequila and vermouth can be combined in a wide variety of ways. And, the type of tequila and vermouth you decide to mix together will result in entirely different cocktails.
For example, if you want a grassy riff on a classic Martini, you should pair a blanco tequila (like this Corralejo Blanco) with a bone-dry vermouth (like this Gancia Dry Vermouth). Another cocktail you can try by mixing a reposado with sweet vermouth, which will result in a spicier version of a Manhattan
Tomato Juice
Tomato juice is the best savory mixer you can use for tequila. It’s salty, rich, and can easily cut through a young tequila’s alcoholic bite. On the other hand, tequila’s underlying sweetness is the perfect pair to tomato juice’s acidity. Mix these two together, and you’ve got a Bloody Maria (cousin to Bloody Mary) for your next brunch party.
Lemonade
Lemonade is a great mixer if you’re looking to make a cocktail that’s sweet, tart, and highly refreshing for a warm day! It’s incredibly easy to drink, and tastes best when made with some fresh lemonade and a tequila blanco.
Key Takeaway
You don’t always have to enjoy your tequila straight. There are plenty of creative — and tasty — ways to enjoy your favorite bottle of tequila! So, the next time you take one down from your shelf, keep this list of the best mixers of tequila in mind. This will help you mix up the perfect cocktail for the occasion!
Looking for more bottles of tequila to try these mixers out? Click here to see Ralph’s Wines & Spirits’ tequila collection! We’ve got the best Mexican spirits you need to make any of these cocktails in a jiff.
