6 Strong and Stirred Tequila Cocktails to Make at Home

It’s hard to have a conversation about tequila cocktails without talking about Margaritas. And rightfully so because the ubiquitous drink is delicious, and there is a seemingly endless number of variations out there. But one common thread runs through them all: you can’t make a margarita without some shaking.

In cocktail canon, beverages with citrus are shaken (with some exceptions, of course). Tequila and citrus are a natural pair, meaning most of the tequila cocktails you see involve shaking of some kind. Yet, there are a number of stirred tequila cocktails that are easy enough to make at home and are just as satisfying. With a little help from friend and cocktail photographer Connor Stehr, we scoured cocktail books, bar menus and internet archives to find the best of the best. They veer toward the boozier side of the spectrum, and plenty are riffs on famous standards like the Manhattan, Martini and Negroni. If you’re looking to change up your cocktail routine, these are the best stirred tequila cocktails to make at home.

Unlike vodka and gin, tequila doesn’t lend itself well to the standard Martini formula. Strong agave flavors simply don’t calm down with a touch of vermouth like those other clear spirits. But the crew at New York City’s Jac’s on Bond twisted the ingredients and ratio enough to fit tequila into a Martini concept using cristalino (an aged tequila that’s charcoal filtered), Cocchi Americano (an Italian aperitivo that’s slightly more bitter than a standard dry vermouth), Cappelletti Aperitivo (think Campari, but with a red wine base instead of a spirit base) and orange bitters. There’s also a touch of salt — an often overlooked ingredient that can punch up many cocktails.

“We designed the TiNiJuana to provide an answer to the disappointed requests for a tequila Martini: mixing aperitivo and tequila that packs a punch while still crushable,” says Trevor Easton Langer, head bartender at Jac’s on Bond. “It’s the right combination of zesty, spicy and it’s not overly sweet. It has three ounces of chilled tequila and is full of flavor, yet still easy to consume.”

There’s no shortage of Old Fashioned variations out there — it’s one of the most popular cocktails in the United States, with seemingly every bar having a take on the drink. You can use an añejo tequila for a worthy and easy-to-make spin at home. The strong barrel notes of an añejo bring in similar qualities as a bourbon or rye would in a traditional Old Fashioned (think vanilla, spices and other oak notes), while the underlying agave flavor keeps things interesting for when you’re getting tired of the standard recipe. To keep with the tequila theme, opt for agave syrup or agave nectar for the sweetener, and swap Angostura bitters for mole bitters to emphasize the cacao and cinnamon notes.

It’s hard to beat a good Negroni. It has the balance that every cocktail strives for with its mix of spirit, sweetener and bitter. The tequila version is no different, though it breaks slightly from the equal parts formula. The Rosita’s history is murky, but it’s believed that it was first written down in the 1974 book Mr. Boston Official Bartender Guide and was popularized in Gary Regan’s 1991 cocktail book The Bartender’s Bible. It differs from the Negroni in that instead of using only sweet vermouth, the Rosita uses half dry and half sweet. It also adds Angostura bitters to make up for the lack of botanicals that gin typically brings to the drink (mole or cacao bitters also work here). A blanco tequila works nicely, but a reposado will bring a little more depth to the cocktail without losing all of the agave flavors.

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The finer details behind your blancos, reposados and añejos

A quick spirit swap is pretty much all it takes to turn a standard Manhattan into a tequila drink. Rather than bourbon or rye, añejo tequila is the star of this cocktail that is balanced out by sweet vermouth and orange bitters. An añejo that leans heavily on the flavors taken on from oak aging will bring you closest to a traditional Manhattan that’s just different enough to keep things new and interesting. For those who want a little more tequila presence without losing the wood and vanilla from the barrel, use a reposado instead. Angostura bitters work well here, though experimenting with orange, mole or cacao bitters could lead to your new favorite Manhattan variation.

The general vibe of a tequila Manhattan is taken a few steps further with the Jaguar, which uses blanco tequila, the French bitter Amer Picon, Green Chartreuse and orange bitters. While the full history of the drink is a little murky, it can be traced back to at least 2007 when Boston bar owner and restaurateur Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli created the drink at Eastern Standard. This probably isn’t a drink you find on the menu at your local bar, but for tequila fans with a well-stocked selection at home, it’s one you’ll turn to again and again. Still, even the fullest home bars will probably need to substitute one ingredient from the original — Amer Picon isn’t sold in the United States, though another bitter that’s on the sweeter side like Amaro Montenegro does the trick. The cocktail has the punch of a Manhattan but the added bitterness and complexity from amaro and Chartreuse for the perfect after-dinner drink or night cap.

Another tequila-centric version of the Negroni comes from NoMad London. This one involves a little more prep ahead of time but is worth the effort, whether you’re trying to impress a group with your cocktail-making or are just looking for a go-to after-work drink. As the name suggests, reposado tequila is infused with pandan ahead of time, and you can do this in batches so there’s always some on hand. Coconut water mellows out the drink a bit, while a touch of cold brew adds a slight kick and depth. 

“This is a great way to create an interesting riff on the classic Negroni using tequila, but also without too much preparation involved,” says Liana Oster, bar director at NoMad London. “The pandan really shines with the reposado and makes this crushable.”

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