Who’s ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? The annual holiday, which is meant to commemorate the Mexican army’s victory over the French empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, falls on Sunday, May 5, and is typically observed in America with some tasty food and drinks, especially margaritas.
First crafted in Acapulco, Mexico, by Dallas socialite Margarita Sames in 1948 when she mixed her two favorite spirits – Cointreau, an orange-flavored triple sec liqueur, and tequila – together with fresh lime juice, the beloved libation is now the number one-selling cocktail in America. “It’s the most versatile cocktail, and is my personal favorite to craft recipes for simply because it goes with everything and people always love it!” master mixologist Dominic Alling tells Us Weekly.
With that in mind, Us has rounded up some tasty margarita recipes worth a try this year. Each of the cocktails consists of the three main margarita ingredients – Cointreau, tequila and lime juice – but they also boast a bevy of healthy yet flavorful twists that easily elevate the classic drink. In other words, there are store-bought mixes or sugary syrups used here.
“The new seasonal margarita recipes from Cointreau infuse some of the current ingredient trends and showcase the cocktail’s ability to blend well with any garnish infusion,” Alling explains. “I especially recommend the Orange Celery Margarita, it takes the trend of celery juice and elevates it in an unexpected and tasteful way.”
Elsewhere, the Garden Basil Margarita features the aforementioned three staples of the drink and adds sparkling apple cider and fresh basil leaves in order to give the libation a slightly sweet, refreshing flavor profile. For something a tad more tart the Ginger Margarita adds ginger beer and a dash of aromatic bitters.
Looking to take your own Cinco de Mayo celebration to the next level without all those empty calories? Scroll down for some additional new margarita recipes from Cointreau.