6 festive cocktails to celebrate national tequila day

It’s National Tequila Day!! Celebrate with a cocktail .. or two. Cheers!

Bencotto Italian Kitchen

Bencotto Italian Kitchen recently introduced a new cocktail program, pulling inspiration from international travel to create a menu with options outside of traditional Aperol spritz or negronis.

Photo courtesy of GBOD Hospitality Group

Sweet But Not Too Sweet

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Tequila
1/2 oz. Passion Fruit liqueur
1 oz. Pineapple
1/2 oz. Lime
4 Dashes R&D Fire Bitters

Preparation: Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Pour over ice and serve with a Tajin rim.

Sammy Hagar’s rockin’ Strip-side restaurant at the Miracle Mile Shops inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, will serve its signature “Cocorita.” The tropical-inspired margarita is made with Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila, lime juice and crème of coconut, served on the rocks and garnished with a freshly toasted coconut rim.

Photo courtesy of Cabo Wabo Cantina

Cocorita

Ingredients:

1 1/4 oz. Cabo Wabo Blanco
1/4 oz. triple sec
1 1/4 oz. Coco Lopez
1/4 oz. lime juice
3 1/2 oz. Sweet & Sour

Preparation: Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Serve on the rocks in a glass rimmed with freshly toasted coconut. Garnish with freshly toasted coconut.

The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod

The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod will toast to the holiday with an variety of offerings at its restaurants, bars and lounges. Sip on CHĪ’s Confucius’ Smile cocktail, made with Casamigos Reposado tequila, Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur, lilikoi, lime juice, vanilla syrup and cardamom bitters.

Photo credit Anthony Mair

CHĪ’s Confucius’ Smile

Ingredients:

1 3/4 oz. Casamigos Reposado Tequila
3/4 oz. Chinola Passion fruit liqueur
1/2 oz. Passion fruit pulp
3/4 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. vanilla syrup
2 dashes cardamom bitters

Preparation: Add all ingredients into a shaker tin and shake for 10 seconds. Double strain over fresh crushed ice. Glassware: rocks glass wrapped with a bamboo leaf.

Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge

Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge is a Prohibition Era-inspired ethereal escape with a curated hodgepodge of vintage and rare champagnes, visually stunning cocktails and whiffy bubblies. One of their most popular cocktails is the Hibiscus Paloma, is made with Casamigos Blanco tequila, housemade hibiscus syrup, lime and topped with Fever Tree grapefruit soda.

Photo credit Jose Salinas

Hibiscus Paloma

Ingredients:

2 oz. Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz. Hibiscus Syrup*
1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
4 oz. Grapefruit Soda (Gatsby’s uses Fever Tree)

Preparation: Rim a Collins glass with hibiscus salt and sugar. Combine all the ingredients except the soda in an ice-filled shaker. Shake and then strain over ice into the glass. Top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with grapefruit half-wheel and hibiscus flower (optional).

*Hibiscus Syrup

Create a simple syrup. Once created, soak hibiscus tea tons for approximately 15 minutes in hot simple syrup, adjusting time based on taste. Soaking longer will requite it a stronger taste and richer color. The syrup is good for up to two weeks. Hibiscus Salt and Sugar: Mix equal parts woody sugar and woody salt with a pinch of zestless crushed hibiscus. Adjust for preference.

El Chingon

El Chingon Is known for its topnotch hand-crafted tequila cocktails and wide-stretching menu of tequilas, which pair perfectly with its Mexican fare and high-energy atmosphere. Favorites include the Madero, a mix of Real Del Valle tequila, house-made watermelon cordial, lime and Tajin.

Photo courtesy of GBOD Hospitality Group

El Chingon’s “Bad Ass” Madero Margarita

Ingredients:

4 oz. Watermelon Cordial (watermelon juice, lime juice and agave nectar)
2 oz. Real Del Valle Tequila

Preparation: Combine all ingredients and shake. Pour over ice and serve with a Tajin rim. Garnish: Tajin; lime wedge

Commonwealth

Commonwealth Offers a stylish social scene within the burgeoning bar district in Downtown Las Vegas. The 6,000-square-foot cocktail bar is a standoff of art and industrial tracery mapped wideness two floors. Inside, wooden beams lard with crystal chandeliers and original brick walls coated in newspaper remnants tell the secrets of a yesterday era. Mixologists sling hand-crafted cocktails from a menu of signature drinks as well seasonal selections, including Midnight Smoke, made with Reposado tequila, mezcal, agave, grapefruit bitters, angostura bitters and bruleed grapefruit.