How to Make a Perfect Tequila Cocktail—Plus 24 Recipes to Inspire You

Is it just us or does warmer weather call for celebrating with a little tequila? The agave-based spirit is best known in America as the base of a salty and sour margarita at your favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant, but tequila is made for much more than mixing with Cointreau and lime juice. The bubbly, grapefruit-centric paloma is actually the drink of choice in Mexico, says André Darlington, author of Booze Cruise: A Tour of the World's Essential Mixed Drinks. He also often sees tequila mixed with fresh orange juice in Mexico's cultural and culinary hub of Oaxaca but notes that people both in Mexico and around the world love tequila and other agave-based spirits, like mezcal, for their versatility.

"They mix well with almost anything—particularly mezcal—but agave spirits do have some favorite flavor partners," says Robert Simonson, author of Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave. "Among the things that go best with tequila in a mixing glass are sherry, pineapple, lime, jalapeño, grapefruit, ginger, and pear."

Both authors agree that building the perfect tequila cocktail starts with tequila made with 100 percent agave. Darlington says Cimarron is typically the well tequila of choice at your favorite craft cocktail bar and he also loves Corralejo. We've included some other delicious options in the recipes to follow. And be sure to note when a recipe calls for blanco (also known as silver), reposado, or añejo to get the flavor profile just right. Simonson also stresses the importance of using freshly squeezed juice if your drink calls for any type.

And for those interested in exploring tequila's smokier, quirkier cousin, mezcal, Darlington recommends this increasingly popular spirit as a floater in your favorite tequila-based cocktail or to simply reduce the amount of tequila in a recipe and replace it with some mezcal. He says it will make your drink richer and more complex.

Ready to mix up a delightful tequila cocktail for yourself? Here are 24 of our favorite tequila cocktails from mixologists and tastemakers all across the country.