Try these 7 cocktails if you love margaritas

If a margarita is your go to drink, you might want to try something else, because why not? Here are 7 other cocktails to try for your next party.

Paloma

Named either after the Spanish word for ‘dove’ or ‘grapefruit’ depending on who you ask, a Paloma is a refreshing mix of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda, with a tart and slightly bitter taste.

• Two parts tequila (preferably blanco for its clean, crisp flavour)
• One part fresh lime juice
• Grapefruit soda (like Fresca or Jarritos, or Ting in the UK)

1. Mix the Cocktail: Fill the glass with ice. Pour the tequila and fresh lime juice over the ice.
2. Top Up: Gently pour the grapefruit soda to the top of the glass. Stir gently to mix the ingredients without losing the fizz.
3. Garnish and Serve: Garnish with a wheel of lime or a slice of grapefruit.

Tequila Sunrise

If orange juice is your thing, the tequila sunrise is a drink with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine, named after its gradient of colour, which happens because the much denser grenadine sinks to the bottom of the glass.

• One part tequila
• Two parts freshly squeezed orange juice
• Dash of grenadine

1. Layer the ingredients: Fill a glass with ice, pour the tequila over the ice and then top with the freshly squeezed orange juice.
2. Add the grenadine and allow it to sink to the bottom of the glass to create a layered effect. 
3. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and orange slice.

Daiquiri

Try this mix of rum, lime juice, and sugar which combine to deliver a balance of sweet and sour, similar to a Margarita but with the warmer flavours of rum.

• Two parts ounces light rum
• One part ounce lime juice
• Up to one part simple syrup, to taste

1. Shake: Add to cocktail shaker with ice, shake and serve

Caipirinha

This is Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça, a clear Brazilian spirit, sugar, and lime. It’s refreshing, tangy and sweet. Perfect for summer.

• Two parts cachaça
• Half a lime, cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
• Ice cubes

1. Muddle: In a sturdy glass, add the lime wedges and sugar. Muddle them together to extract the lime juice and blend it with the sugar. The sugar helps to grind the lime and release the oils from the skin.
2. Add Ice: Fill the glass with ice cubes.
3. Pour Cachaça: Add the cachaça over the ice.
4. Mix: Stir well to combine the cachaça with the muddled lime and sugar

Sidecar

If you like the rich, fruity taste of brandy, the sidecar is like a margarita except you swap the tequila for brandy and the lime for lemon, offering a citrusy taste with a spirituous backbone.

• Two parts brandy, such as cognac
• One part orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)
• One part lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1. Shake: Add to shaker with ice, shake and serve

Cosmopolitan

Perhaps most strongly associated with Carrie Bradshaw and the 90’s, Cosmopolitans pack a strong (alcoholic) punch with a surprisingly light flavour. Vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice, all combine for tartness with a cranberry twist.

• 3 parts lemon vodka
• One part triple sec
• Two parts cranberry juice (not sweetened)
• One part lime juice

1. Shake: Add all ingredients to shaker with ice, shake, serve

Mezcal Margarita

Yes, technically a margarita, but worth mentioning if you like margaritas but want something a little different. The mezcal margarita substitutes tequila with mezcal, which is the earthy, more complex older sister to tequila. It’s smokey, sophisticated and importantly, delicious.

• One part mezcal
• One part triple sec
• One part lime juice

1. Shake: Add all ingredients to shaker with ice, shake, serve