Some sweet, some spicy, all guaranteed to get you return invites.
If, when you hear the word “ranch”, you think of the dressing so loved by Americans, then you likely saw the name of this drink and worried that The Internet has people putting mayonnaise in their cocktail shakers. Gross. Rest easy, this is not that. It’s actually a super-simple, super-refreshing drink, with millions of views on social media. Originating in Texas, they typically make it with Topo Chico (a brand of sparkling mineral water) and the Ranch Water is essentially a tequila-based Spritz. Tequila blanco, topped with sparkling water with a squeeze lime. As is the nature of TikTok trends, there are a lot of off-shoots that add more flavour or flair to the drink: a spicy salt rim, infused tequila, zero-alc with cherries… it’s a drink prime for your interpretation. Make sure you post it, too. It might go viral.
Some drinks are spicy, some bubbly, some sour – this drink is all three. While in a person, all those characteristics would be a bit intense, as a drink, it’s exciting. It’s essentially the zing and heat of a Spicy Margarita with the bubbles and funk of kombucha, and it comes together to create a long, layered, yummy-yum drink. It also feels like a decidedly “now” drink. A signature Gen-Z recipe. Unexpected and interesting, but downright delicious.
While first seen in a cocktail recipe book in the 1970s, the Rosita was popularised by England’s prolific cocktail creator and writer Gary Regan. It has all the elements of a Negroni but swaps the gin for tequila, and adds bitters (Gary’s go-to move). It’s a strong sipper, sans sweetness, so it’s perfect as a first drink before everyone sits down to dinner, or as a last one to end the night on a high. Maybe keep this in your back pocket in case the chicken comes out dry.
When Ultra Violette co-founder Ava Chandler-Matthews told us “no one wants dessert, they want a good cocktail,” we burnt our Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks of cakes and slices and trifles, and started looking for cocktails that hit all the right sugary notes. Okay, maybe not, but it did make us think that after a fun dinner of great food, wine and conversation, a heavy, rich dessert is a bit of a vibe-killer. Reserve the chocolate cake for a night bingeing The Real Housewives, and serve the Chilli Coconut Margarita as dessert. It’s creamy and cold and zesty, and, as the ancient proverb goes, “Nothing doth say party like a Margy”.
A cocktail we love so much, we’ve made and bottled it for you (with the help of a friend) so that all you need to do is add tequila! Inspired by long sunny afternoons and salty breezes, this Yuzu and Blood Orange Sour is all citrus upfront, with a balanced bitter and sweet palate pulling through. Of course, we did an excessive amount of recipe testing to find the one perfect for a Mr. Consistent collab. The brief: a stupidly good summer sip that would be a pain in the arse to make from scratch. Tick, tick. You’re not going to be picking orange blossom or brewing rooibos tea to make your BFF a drink. You love her, but that’s too much effort. This bottle is the answer. You are truly most welcome.
Finally a use for that clay pot you made in that one pottery class you went to – a Cantarito! This juicy little sipper is so zesty and tart with orange, grapefruit and limes in the citrus mix, and the clay pot is the traditional way to drink it. They are actually used as takeaway cups at roadside stalls in Mexico. It also helps to keep the drink cool if you wet the outside (because that water evaporates so your drink won’t). Talk about a party trick.
Frozen cocktails can feel a little “woo girl”. Not a bad thing, but they can sometimes make you feel a little like they are for hen’s parties and Taylor Swift concerts. But get set to feel differently about these frosty little suckers because it’s a recorded fact that Ernest Hemingway, who wrote about men and war and liked to fight for fun, loved a frozen Daiquiri. And if whirling blenders had been invented, he would have loved this Frozen Watermelon Margarita, too. An OG Marg with a frozen watermelon addition, it’s refreshing and sweet and looks great on a tablescape. So, next time watermelons are on sale, chop them up and fill your freezer.
This is a treat-to-self drink. The kind of thing you make on a Friday night to close out the working week and kick off your weekend. It has delicious, kinda fancy ingredients (you’re worth it): blood orange juice and agave syrup, but it’s so easy to make and a welcome twist on the OG Grapefruit Paloma. Ice, ingredients and top with soda, plus a salty rim and wedge of blood orange for extra pizzazz. A nice long drink, the Blood Orange Paloma will see you through a couch flop and a working-week download with your roommates. Stick this one on repeat.
TikTokker and podcaster slashie Aurelia St Clair likes their cocktails complex. “I love cocktails that fit more than one flavour profile.” Their Sunset Cooler is sweet and spicy, tick tick. With fresh mango chunks and a Tajin chilli rim, it’s also textually giving. It’s also stupid simple to make: put all the ingredients in a shaker, pour it out and enjoy. As such, you can sleep in ‘til midday and have people over at 2pm, just the way Aurelia likes it.
- What are the best tequilas for margaritas in Australia?
We've said it before and we'll say it again, the best tequila will always be the one you like the most, but we love to try and test our tequila, so we encourage you to do the same. If you're stuck, at the bottom of each cocktail recipe, you'll always find a list of recommended products from the Dan's Daily team of experts.
- Which tequila is best for cocktails versus sipping?
It will always come down to personal preference, we love mixing blanco in our cocktails (but often tequila-based cocktails call for añejo or reposado). When it comes to sipping it's all about flavour preference. Blanco tequila is known for being clear in colour and packed with grassy, citrusy and peppery notes. Añejo is aged the longest (except for extra añejo), and it’s generally the darkest, richest and most complex with flavours of caramel, vanilla, honey and butterscotch. While reposado spends two months to a year ageing in steel or oak whiskey barrels, which gives the tequila a beautiful caramel colour while imparting some of those oaky, woody characteristics to the drink.
- How should tequila be served and stored?
Serve tequila however you like it best, sipped neat, served on the rocks or mixed into your favourite tequila-based cocktail. Tequila is best stored in a cool place, away from light and heat. Always make sure you reseal the bottle after use.
