Herradura’s Cincorita

1.5 oz Tequila Herradura Silver
.5 oz Cointreau
.5 oz Chambord
1.5 oz agave nectar
1.5 oz fresh lime juice

Mix Tequila Herradura Silver, Cointreau, agave nectar and fresh lime juice in a shaker with ice. Pour into a margarita glass rimmed with salt. Pour the Chambord on top, so as to create a crimson floater. Garnish with a lime wedge.

and now as promised some cool tidbits about Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla where Mexico defeated French troops that outnumbered them almost two-to-one – after only two hours of fighting! The holiday has been celebrated in California since 1863, as a symbol of solidarity in response to the French occupation of Mexico from 1863-1867.

Cinco de Mayo is the largest tequila consumption day in the U.S. In fact, Americans can’t get enough of Mexico’s native spirit. Since 2002, U.S. imports of tequila have grown 48% - an average rate of 6.7% per year. In 2008 alone, more than 10.6 million 9-liter cases were sold. Tequila volume continues to grow despite the current recession. Source: Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

Cinco de Mayo is so popular in Texas, that the State Legislation only allows the sale of fireworks on New Year’s Eve, 4th of July, Texas’ Independence Day in June, and, in some border areas, for the Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Source: Texas State Legislation

The spirit of Cinco de Mayo can be seen across U.S. pop culture; in fact, War released a music hit from its 1982 Outlaw album titled “Cinco de Mayo” and in 1998, the U.S. Postal Service released a postage stamp to commemorate the holiday.

During the French occupation, Mexico’s cuisine absorbed French culinary tradition leading to the creation of many delicacies still popular today. Some examples are the chiles en nogada (stuffed chilies in a walnut sauce), conejo en mostaza (rabbit in mustard sauce) and volovanes (puffy pastries based on the French vol-au-vent). Source: Mexican Mercados and Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes

courtesy Herradura Tequila

Cabo Wabo, the Ultra Premium Tequila created by the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar suggests we all rock out this Cinco de Mayo. To help out they created these Tequila cocktails in the fun-loving spirit of Cabo San Lucas.

Cabo Alemja

1 oz Cabo Reposado Tequila
1 oz Cabo Blanco Tequila
1 oz Clamato Juice

Shake it up and serve over ice in a salt-rimmed rocks glass. Rock it out with a Lime Wheel.

Cabo Habanero

2 oz Cabo Reposado Tequila
1 oz Cinzano Dry Vermouth
1 small whole Habanero Pepper for garnish

Add ingredients to an ice-filled rocks glass. Stir and spice it up with a red rocker Habanero Pepper.

Cabo Lima

2 oz Cabo Reposado Tequila
1 oz frozen Limeade Concentrate
2 oz Water
3 oz Pacifico Beer

Mix all ingredients together going heavy on the ice and serve in a highball glass. Stir and liven it up with a lime wheel.

Cabo Gazpachito Shot

Cabo Wabo wants us all to rock out this Cinco de Mayo

1 oz Cabo Blanco Tequila
1 ½ oz Tomato Juice
½ oz Sherry
2 slices of green or red Jalapeño
Cucumber Spear

Shake it all up with ice in a shaker, while you’re rockin’ and rollin’ and strain into the chilled shot glass. Amp it up with a Cucumber Spear. Slam the shot and then eat the Cucumber Spear to finish.

courtesy Cabo Wabo Tequila

Fifteen margaritas for $18? Not bad. Sauza is introducing its “Margarita-in-a-box,” hoping that the home-bartending trend will expand to include pre-mixed cocktails. Sauza says this will be the first boxed margarita with real tequila on the market.

The Wall Street Journal notes that two other major liquor companies plan to release pre-mixed cocktails this summer, suggesting that perhaps distillers are hedging their bets.

The artisan cocktail movement has thrived in bars and at home during recession, is the convenience at-home market just the next logical step?

Pre-mixed cocktails are nothing new  — from Sex on a Beach in a can to Mike’s Hard Lemonade. But it seems like liquor companies may be trying to appeal to the more picky cocktail enthusiast who doesn’t want to pay bar prices but also doesn’t want to be a “mixologist.”

Call me biased, but nothing beats a freshly mixed cocktail.

Margarita recipe
Spirits Markers Replace Bartender With Convenience @ Wall Street Journal
Sauza Tequila

A New York company is producing 500,000 cases of Kosher Tequila, and at a whopping 99 proof. Highlighting it’s alcohol content, the makers named it Agave 99. Using methods certified by a rabbi in a Mexican distillery, Agave 99 will be available in the States by Cinco de Mayo (that’s May 5th for all you Gringos). Although Cinco de Mayo is the launch date, the producer, Star Industries, will release a limited amount for passover so observant Jews can celebrate with a premium Tequila. We can’t wait to try it!

Kosher Tequila

More fun facts and Margarita recipes for National Margarita Day.

The original Margarita was invented in 1948 by socialite Margarita Sames. According to the legend it was during a party at her cliff side hacienda in Acapulco that Margarita began experimenting with “the drink”. Looking for something to cut the dust of a hot afternoon, she mixed Tequila Herradura, Cointreau and fresh lime juice. Her cocktail kept the party going for two weeks and today the Margarita is the #1 most popular cocktail in the U.S.

* The Margarita was the most popularly ordered drink in 2008, representing 18 percent of all mixed drink sales in the U.S., followed by the Martini, Rum and Coke, Vodka and Tonic, and the Cosmopolitan (Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)

* On average, Americans consume 185,000 Margaritas per hour (Brown-Forman, 2008)

* Margarita consumption peaked in the South accounting for 34.9 percent of sales; markets include Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Texas etc. (Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)

* Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis and Nashville are among the best major metro cities for the Margarita (Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)

* The first frozen margarita machine was invented in 1971 and it was based off a soft-serve ice cream machine
(more…)

Today is National Margarita Day! I haven’t been able to find the origin of this special day. It’s possible a smart tequila company came up with the idea and was able to successfully spread it around.

However, I am happy to celebrate it regardless of who actually declared it a holiday. As far as I’m concerned, let’s make every Sunday Margarita Day.

Here are some margarita recipes to help you celebrate this lovely holiday:

Cadillac Margarita

Prickly Pear Margarita

Chambord Margarita

Raspberry Margarita

Jamaica Margarita

Agave Nectar Margarita

Photo Credit: alexdecarvalho

This week Tequila Herradura shares this sexy cocktail recipe. We fell in love with the combination of pomegranate and limes juices, agave nectar and Hearradura Reposado! What could make a better Valentine?

Melange A Trois

1 1/2 oz. Herradura Reposado Tequila
1/2 oz. Pomegranate Juice
1 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
1 1/2 oz. Agave Nectar

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake to mix and pour (ice and all) into a rock glass.
Garnish with a lime and cherry.

Valentine’s Day Drinks
past Drink of the Week Cocktails
recipe and photo courtesy Tequila Herradura