Cinco de Mayo 2020: 7 DIY Cocktails To Make At Home

By Ryanne Co May 05, 2020

The fifth of May is upon us once again. Cinco de Mayo, originally celebrated as a day of victory for the Mexicans, has evolved into an overarching celebration of their culture and heritage. This year, the fiesta continues even while in quarantine. At home, we’re mixing up some delicious cocktails that’s perfect to celebrate with! So come on, bring out your tequila bottles and Mexican beer cans, and let’s get mixing. 

What’s Cinco de Mayo without tequila? Try this Patrón Perfectionist winning recipe at home!

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz of Patrón Silver
• 0.5 oz of dry vermouth
• 0.5 oz of sampaguita cordial
• 0.3 oz of lychee juice
• 3 dashes of grapefruit bitters
• Tonic water

Method

1. Combine all liquids into a mixing glass and stir. 
2. Pour into a highball glass and top off with tonic water.
3. Add grapefruit bitters as garnish. 

Try something spicy with this jalapeño spiked bourbon julep! All you need are as follows: 

Ingredients

• 4 fresh mint leaves
• 1 ounce of Jalapeño Simple Syrup (1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water,  and 2 jalapeño peppers)
• Crushed ice
• 2 ½ ounces of 1792 Bourbon
• Club Soda
• 1 very thinly sliced jalapeño round

Method 

1. Create the jalapeño syrup by mixing together a cup of sugar, a cup of water, and 2 jalapeño peppers into a saucepan over high heat. Bring this to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture steep for 20 minutes.
2. Strain the syrup, discard jalapeños. Let cool. 
3. When it cools, pour the syrup into a  julep cup and add mint. Gently bruise the mint leaves with a wooden spoon and then add enough crushed ice to fill two-thirds of the cup.
4. Add bourbon to the mixture and stir gently. Top this off with a splash of club soda and garnish with a sprig of mint and a jalapeño. 

Take a sip out of a caipirinha: it sounds exotic but it’s so easy to make! 

Ingredients

• Lime, cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 ounces of Cachaça

Method

1. Mix sugar and lime wedges into a glass before pouring in cachaça and ice. Stir briefly.
2. Garnish with a lime wedge. 

Cool down with a refreshing glass of grape sangria. 

Ingredients

• 1  3/4  pound of  seedless green grapes
• 1 large Granny Smith apple
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup of superfine sugar
• 2 bottle medium-bodied red wine (such as Merlot)
• 1 cup of  Concord grape juice
• 1/2 cup of Grey Goose vodka
• 4 cups of ice 

Method

1. Spread three quarters of the grapes onto a metal baking pan and freeze for up to 2 hours.
2. In a large pitcher, add the remaining one pound of grapes along with the lemon and apple slices. Mix in the sugar, wine, grape juice, and vodka until the sugar dissolves. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chilled.
3. Divide the frozen grapes into different glasses (this will serve eight). Pour sangria into the cups with frozen grapes. 

A true Cinco de Mayo  celebration isn’t complete without a Michelada. It’s spicy, tangy, exciting, and just as exciting as you may think! 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• Juice of 1 lime plus 1 lime wedge
• 2 cups of  ice
• 3 ounces of  tomato juice (1/3 cup)
• 4 dashes of Tabasco
• 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• One 12-ounce chilled Mexican-style beer

Method

1. Create chilli salt by mixing in the chilli powder and salt onto a small plate.
2. Rub a lime wedge along the rom of your glass before dipping into the chilli salt.
3. Fill the glass with ice before pouring in the lime juice, tomato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and beer. Stir briefly to mix the flavours.
4. Garnish the glass with a lime wedge. 

Nothing quenches summer thirst more than this pineapple mango daiquiri! 

Ingredients

• 4 ounces of Tanduay Silver
• 2 ounces of fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen mango
• 1/4 cup filtered
• 1 cup crushed ice
• Pineapple wedges for garnish

Method 

1. Simply add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Divide the mixture between cocktail glasses and garnish with pineapple wedges.

Nothing spells festivity during the summer like a piña colada! 

Ingredients

• 4 ounces of Don Papa Masskara 
• 4 ounces of coconut milk
• 1/3 cups of  fresh pineapple chunks, plus more for garnish 
• splash pineapple juice
• 1 cup of ice
• 2 maraschino cherries

Method

1. Mix the rum, coconut milk, pineapple chunks, and pineapple juice into a blender along with ice. Blend this until smooth.
2. Pour the mixture into a glass. This makes two servings.
3. Garnish each glass with a pineapple chunk and or a maraschino cherry.