Spice up your life: gin cocktails from Mexico for a party with plenty of kick!

Cinco de Mayo - the 5th May - was the day on which Mexican forces defeated their French occupiers in 1862 and, just as St. Patrick’s Day has come become a joyous worldwide celebration of Ireland and all things Irish, this spirited Central American festival is now massively growing in popularity around the world.

Here at Craft Gin Club we embrace gins from all cultures around the globe. So, to celebrate Mexican drinking heritage, we’ve put together five Mexican cocktails you should definitely try at home. They go brilliantly with Mexican food - why not turn your evening into a Mexico-themed party?! Salud!

Michelada (Beer and clam juice mixture: serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 1 33cl bottle of Mexican beer
• 1 freshly squeezed juice of lime
• 4.5 oz. Clamato
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes chili sauce
• Salt
• Chili powder
• ice

1 33cl bottle of Mexican beer

1 freshly squeezed juice of lime

4.5 oz. Clamato

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes chili sauce

Salt

Chili powder

ice

Preparation:

• Chill a tall beer glass.
• Combine salt in chili powder to taste. Dip the rim of the glass in lime juice and then in the salt/chili mixture which will stick to the rim of the glass.
• Shake lime juice, Clamato, Worcestershire sauce and chili together on ice. Pour into glass.
• Top up with beer.
• Garnish with slice of lime

Chill a tall beer glass.

Combine salt in chili powder to taste. Dip the rim of the glass in lime juice and then in the salt/chili mixture which will stick to the rim of the glass.

Shake lime juice, Clamato, Worcestershire sauce and chili together on ice. Pour into glass.

Top up with beer.

Garnish with slice of lime

El Ahumador (translation: the smokehouse)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. mezcal
• 1 oz. cinnamon syrup
• 4 green grapes
• 2 oz. ginger ale

1.5 oz. mezcal

1 oz. cinnamon syrup

4 green grapes

2 oz. ginger ale

Preparation:

• Put the grapes and syrup in a cocktail shaker. Muddle the grapes
• Add the mezcal and fill shaker with ice
• Shake
• Pour in an Old Fashioned Glass and top up with ginger ale

Put the grapes and syrup in a cocktail shaker. Muddle the grapes

Add the mezcal and fill shaker with ice

Shake

Pour in an Old Fashioned Glass and top up with ginger ale

El Rey Añejo (translation: the Aged King)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. tequila añejo
• 1 oz. Grand Marnier
• .75 oz. pomegranate juice
• .5 oz. pink grapefruit juice

1.5 oz. tequila añejo

1 oz. Grand Marnier

.75 oz. pomegranate juice

.5 oz. pink grapefruit juice

Preparation: 
Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake. Serve in a martini glass

Tamarindo y Manazana (translation: Tamarind and Apple)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. mezcal
• 1 oz. apple liquor
• .75 oz. tamarind pulp

1.5 oz. mezcal

1 oz. apple liquor

.75 oz. tamarind pulp

Preparation:
In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients and shake. Serve in a martini glass

Paloma (translation: dove)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. tequila blanco
• 1.5 oz. fresh pink grapefruit juice
• .5 oz. simple syrup
• .5 oz. fresh lime juice
• Sparkling water

1.5 oz. tequila blanco

1.5 oz. fresh pink grapefruit juice

.5 oz. simple syrup

.5 oz. fresh lime juice

Sparkling water

Preparation:
Stir tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and syrup in a Collins glass or other tall glass filled with ice. Top up with sparkling water.