11 Refreshing Summer Cocktails with Tequila

Summertime is synonymous with margaritas! There is just something about the blazing hot sun of summer and a cold margarita in your hand. The fermented and distilled agave seems specially designed to combat extreme heat waves.

2022 is shaping up to be an extra hot summer for most of the USA. What better way to cool off than to mix up a great tequila-based beverage? We have some great tequila-based cocktails listed below, including some variations on a margarita. These recipes feature lemonade, fresh fruit, fresh garden vegetables and herbs, icy sorbet, and even a little hint of spice. Give one of our favorite recipes a try and hit us up in the comments to let us know what you thought!

Beergarita

Not all beers go well with tequila, but a light-colored lager (like a Dos Equis, for example) will work great. Experiment a little and see if the recipe works with a sour or IPAs. 

You will need:

• 6 (12 fluid ounces) cans or bottles of beer
• 1 (12 fluid ounces) can frozen limeade concentrate (such as Minute Maid)
• 12 ounces tequila
• 6 cups of ice cubes

Makes 12 servings. (Obviously, divide this by 12 if you want to make a single serving.) First, pour all the beers into a large pitcher. (Pour! Don’t dump and ruin all the fizz.) Add the limeade and stir gently to combine. Don’t shake! Pour in the tequila. (You can use the limeade container to measure out the 12 ounces.) Pour into the pitcher and stir gently to combine. Serve in an awesome glass, over ice.

Long Island Iced Tea with Tequila

For this recipe, we recommend using Espolon Tequila Blanco, Bacardi White Rum, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Beefeaters Gin. But really, since you’re mixing all this up, use whatever you have on hand, and don’t waste the high-end liquor.

You will need:

• ½ cup tequila (Silver, Blanco, or White)
• ½ cup white rum
• ½ cup vodka
• ½ cup gin
• ½ cup triple sec
• ¾ cup lemon juice
• ¾ cup simple syrup
• 1 ½ cups cola
• Halved lemon slices, for garnish

This recipe makes 8-12 servings. Mix everything except for the cola in a large pitcher and chill. When you’re ready, add the cola and stir gently (don’t beat out the bubbles!), and then pour the mixture into highball or hurricane glasses filled with ice. Top with more cola if you want. Garnish with the lemons.

Watermelon Cucumber Kombucha Coolers

Feel free to serve this recipe without the tequila, but the tequila makes it extra fun! You’ll need to prep this drink a little ahead of time.

You will need:

• 1 cup watermelon (cubed)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, or approximately ½ cup
• 1 ¾ cups kombucha tea of your choice
• 2 T. lime juice
• ½ cup club soda (optional)
• ½ cup tequila
• Cilantro or mint sprigs, for garnish

Makes four glasses. Put the watermelon and cucumber into a pitcher. Pour the kombucha over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate anywhere from one hour to overnight. When you’re ready to proceed, strain the kombucha through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer the fruit/veggie chunks to a food processor or blender and puree. Now, strain the puree through the same sieve and add it back to the kombucha. Get all the little chunks out. Stir in the soda water and tequila. Divide between four glasses and garnish with your cilantro or mint sprigs.

Grapefruit Margarita

This is a wonderful twist on a regular margarita! It’s light and delicious, and we can almost guarantee you that you’ll drink too many!

You will need:

• 2 ounces grapefruit juice (fresh is best!)
• 1 ½ ounces tequila (Silver or Reposado)
• ¾ ounce Cointreau (or any orange liqueur)
• ¾ ounce lime juice (freshly squeezed is best!)
• Agave nectar, to taste
• Ice
• Lime wedge and salt for the glass rim

Makes one serving. If you like a salty rim, run a lime along the rim of the glass, then dip it into some coarse salt. Set aside. Next, add grapefruit juice, tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously! Taste, and if you want it to be sweeter (most people do), stir in a half a teaspoon of agave. Repeat if needed. Now, fill your salty glasses with ice. Pour the margarita mixture over the ice. Serve garnished with extra lime or grapefruit wedge.

Prickly Pear Cactus Margarita

This is a really basic, super-yummy drink that is refreshing on a scorching day! Try swapping out the sweet and sour mix with pink lemonade, and feel free to serve it over crushed ice.

You will need:

• Coarse salt
• 2 ounces tequila
• 2 ounces sweet and sour mix
• 1-ounce triple sec
• 1-ounce lime juice
• 1-ounce prickly pear syrup

Yields one serving. If you prefer a salty rim, wet the rim of a margarita glass and dip it into a small plate of salt. Set aside. Next, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour tequila, sweet and sour mix, triple sec, lime juice, and prickly pear syrup over ice. Shake it hard until frosty cold! Strain into the prepared margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wedge if you’d like.

Tequila Blackberry Lemonade

We’re big fans of lemonade in the summertime, so we think this is a terrific choice! Plus, who doesn’t love berries? This drink is both sweet and tart. It’s almost berry season, and we’re definitely going to be muddling fresh berries soon!

You will need:

• 6 blackberries, rinsed
• 4-5 mint leaves
• 1-ounce lemon juice (fresh is best!)
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• 2 ounces tequila
• Sparkling water
• Ice salt for the rim, optional
• Mint or blackberries for garnish

Serves one. If you prefer a salty rim, wet the rim of your margarita glass and dip it into a small plate of salt. Set aside. Next, in a cocktail shaker, muddle the blackberries and mint them until their juice is extracted. Then, add the lemon juice, simple syrup, and tequila and shake until fully combined. Then, strain the blackberry tequila lemonade into a glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with the mint and/or blackberries, and enjoy!

Key Lime Sorbet Tequila Cocktail

If you love Key Lime pie, you’re going to love this cocktail! It’s very much a dessert, but it’s also an “I deserve to enjoy this sunny weekend day”! You probably will want to make the sorbet a day ahead of time. If you do, you might need to let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before you are able to scoop it.

You will need (for the sorbet):

• 5 cups of water
• 1 cup of sugar
• ½ cup fresh Key Lime juice (about 10 Key Limes) 
• You will need (for the cocktail):
• 2 large scoops of the sorbet (one per glass)
• 1 cup tequila (silver)

First, make the sorbet. Combine the water and sugar in a large non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, turn down the heat and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool the sugar mixture completely. Stir in the lime juice. Pour the juice mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (Here’s how to make sorbet without an ice cream machine.) When it’s ready, spoon the sorbet into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze for at least two hours.

Next, to make the cocktail: Place a scoop of sorbet in each glass. Use more or less sorbet according to your preference. Pour the tequila over the sorbet, half a cup, give or take. Wait a few minutes to let the sorbet start to melt into the cocktail.

Brazilian Breezer Tiki Cocktail

Photo Credit to Purewow.com

This recipe combines the flavors of cucumber and coconut with pineapple and tequila for a result that’s so refreshing it will have you coming back for thirds. You need to start this recipe about a week ahead of time.

You will need (for the Coco Loco infusion):

• 1 pineapple, skinned and sliced
• 1 ¼ liter of Milagro Silver or other premium Silver tequila
• ¾ liter coconut rum
• You will need (for the cocktail):
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 5 slices cucumber
• 2 ounces Coco Loco infusion
• Pineapple and lime slices for garnish

First, make the Coco Loco infusion. Place the pineapple slices in a huge glass jar. Add the tequila and rum and leave the jar on the counter out of the direct sunlight for at least one week, stirring daily. (Makes about two liters.)

Next, it’s time to make the cocktail! Add the pineapple juice and four cucumber slices to a large rocks class. Muddle the cucumber to release its flavor. Fill the glass with crushed ice and add the Coco Loco infusion. Transfer the mixture to a cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously. Return to the glass. Garnish with pineapple and lime slices.

Rhubarb Mint Margarita with Jalapeño Tequila

This is tangy, spicy, and a fantastic summertime drink! Did you know that spicy food can actually help cool you off? It’s true! And this drink can help you do just that.

You will need (for the Jalapeño Tequila):

• 1 ½ cups tequila (Blanco)
• 1 jalapeño, sliced
• You will need (for the Rhubarb and Mint Syrup):
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb (roughly 5 stalks)
• ¼ cup packed fresh mint Leaves
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• You will need (for the cocktail):
• 2 ounces lime juice (freshly squeezed is best!)
• 2 ounces jalapeno-infused tequila
• 1 ½ ounce rhubarb syrup
• Lime, sliced
• Rhubarb, sliced
• Mint sprig
• Flaked salt, for the rim

Serves one.

First: To make the Jalapeno Tequila, simply place the sliced jalapeno in a jar with the tequila. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Strain out the jalapeno and seeds.

Next: Make the Rhubarb and Mint Syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring all ingredients for the rhubarb syrup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. Let the syrup cool and press through a fine-mesh sieve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Finally: It’s time to make the cocktail! Juice your limes. You’ll need about two limes worth of juice per drink that you plan to make. Set the juice aside. Next, in a cocktail shaker, add 2 ounces infused tequila, 2 ounces fresh-squeezed lime juice, and 1 ½ ounce rhubarb syrup. Top with ice and shake it hard! Then, salt the rim of your glass. Add ice to your glass and strain the cocktail mixture into the glass. Garnish with wedges of lime, slices of rhubarb, or mint leaves if desired.

Spring Garden Margarita

Photo Credit to Healthfullyeverafter.com

This is a different take on a margarita. Instead of being citrusy and spicy, this is like eating a refreshing bite of your garden veggies. It’s unusual and botanical. If your cucumbers aren’t perfectly ripe, you might want to add more honey and salt.

You will need (for the cucumber juice):

• 2 small Persian cucumbers
• ¼ cup water
• You will need (for the Honey Black Pepper Syrup):
• 1 Tablespoon wildflower honey
• 1 Tablespoon water
• Black pepper, a few grinds’ worths
• You will need (for the cocktail):
• 3 ounces tequila (Silver)
• 2 ounces lemon juice (fresh is best!)
• 2 ounces cucumber juice
• ¾ ounce Honey Black Pepper Syrup
• Sea salt
• Snap pea, mint, cucumber, and edible flowers for garnish

Serves two. First, make the cucumber juice. In a blender, puree the cucumber and water. Strain out the seeds.

Next, make the honey-pepper syrup. Microwave the water and honey together for about 15 seconds. Stir to combine. (Don’t let it go so long that it overflows in the microwave.) Add a few cracks of black pepper when it’s thoroughly mixed.

Then, it’s time to make the cocktail! First, crush your ice in the blender so it’s like pebbles. Add ice to make two cups.  Next, add the cucumber juice, honey black pepper syrup, tequila, salt, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker that’s packed with ice. Shake it vigorously. Pour into two glasses filled with the pebbled ice. Garnish with mint, edible flowers, cucumber, and peas.

Watermelon Basil Colada

This is a cocktail you can feel pretty good about drinking because it’s full of healthy ingredients.

You will need (for the coconut cream):

• 1 can organic light coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons coconut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• A pinch of salt
• You will need (for the watermelon juice):
• 4 cups watermelon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh is best!)
• ⅓ cup filtered water
• 3-4 basil leaves
• You will need (for the cocktail):
• Tequila
• Basil leaves, for garnish

Serves four. First, blend the ingredients for the coconut cream. Put all the ingredients together in a blender, and pulse until frothy. Pour into a separate container and rinse your blender out.

Next, prepare the watermelon juice. Blend all the watermelon juice ingredients in a blender until frothy. Keep this in the blender.

Finally, prepare the cocktail! Slowly add the coconut cream to the blender that already has the watermelon juice. Taste along the way—you might want more or less coconut cream, so take some sips after you’ve added half a cup or so. Then, add about 2-4 shots worth of tequila. Serve in tall, cold glasses and garnish with basil leaves. Don’t forget a coaster!