May 14, 2025 at 5:02 PM PST
Summer cocktails are all about bringing fresh ingredients together to create a refreshing beverage. While many drinks come to mind, few have the appeal of a tequila cocktail. Whether crisp and cool or rich and indulgent, they fit the bill for the season of sun. The best part is that you don’t need to be a professional mixologist to create an excellent drink. With the right summer tequila, you can easily craft a beverage that celebrates the best offerings of the season.
Takeaways
New
Fresh fruit like
watermelon and citrus
make summer tequila
cocktails extra refreshing
Mint and honey
simple syrup elevate
tequila drinks with
cool herbal notes
Tequila's history and
craftsmanship add depth
to any home
cocktail experience
Tequila is a spirit as rich in history as it is in flavor. Crafted only in Jalisco, Mexico, from agave plants, it’s deeply rooted in the country’s culture. From the moment the plants are harvested to the tequila-making process, there’s a lot of love that goes into each bottle. Tequila makers are master distillers, meaning that the juice they produce can be as nuanced as a whiskey or fine cognac. The best summer tequila drinks are just as beautiful. They’re packed with citrus flavors, aromas of sweet agave, and even spicy notes of black pepper or green earth.
If you’re looking for an interesting bottle to add to your collection this summer, you’re not alone. As the fastest-growing spirit category in the U.S., tequila is always a hit during the warmer months. Below, we’ve gathered the best summer tequilas, including blancos, reposados, and even an añejo, to add to your bar cart this season.
Despite offering only one style of tequila, LALO is making a name for itself amongst serious tequila drinkers. Its flavor profile is robust with strong notes of citrus and distinct aromas of cinnamon, black pepper, and vegetal earth. The combination makes for a clean and fresh-tasting blanco that takes any margarita to the next level. It's also worth noting that the founder is the grandson of tequila-making pioneer Don Julio.
Fortaleza is a favorite with bartenders for good reason. With prominent earthy aromas and notes of cracked pepper, it adds a little something extra to classic cocktails like the margarita while being smooth enough to sip neat.
Tequila and citrus are a match made in heaven, and this bottle takes the guesswork out of creating a delicious cocktail. Infused with the juice of Valencia oranges, it has a hint of natural sweetness and a subtle kiss of citrus that doesn't overpower the tequila flavor. It's perfect for Palomas, but it drinks just as well poured over ice.
While some reposados feature an intense oakiness, La Gritona offers a lighter, refreshing take. After being double-distilled, the tequila ages in American oak for 8 months for just a hint of color and barrel flavor. The result is a reposado with notes of caramelized fruit and spiced ginger, making it ideal for sipping or mixing into your favorite cocktail.
This reposado features a unique balance of natural sweetness and warm, vanilla oak flavors. Since the agave plants are grown on flat terrain with lots of sun, they're able to ripen faster, creating a sweeter taste profile before cooking. This makes the citrus and honeyed notes of the tequila more prominent and allows them to mellow out during the aging process. The result is a reposado bursting with natural caramelized flavors and a smooth texture.
With intense aromas and interesting flavors, this tequila is in a lane of its own. With notes of bergamot, mango, jasmine, and raw honey, it's the kind of reposado you sip and admire. But that doesn't mean you can't use it for cocktails. The unique combination of flavors creates an equally intriguing drink and plays well with an assortment of mixers.
This añejo offers a smooth sip with complex aromas. The palate is bursting with gourmand flavors, such as dried fruits, spice, butterscotch, vanilla, and toasted oak, giving it a rich taste. Despite this, the honeyed notes of agave still come through, giving it a refreshing balance. While it's best sipped neat, it's also a delicious alternative for espresso martinis.
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