The Best Tequila Cocktails, According To Experts
Tired of drinking those spicy picantes everywhere you go these days?
For years, tequila ruled the bar scene quietly on the side: a salt-rimmed Margarita here, a lazy Paloma there. Gin was king. Whiskey was go-to for many Delhi folks.
Then came the picante. Chilli-infused, smoky, unapologetically loud, it swept across every cocktail menu from Mumbai to Manhattan with a momentum that was, at first, thrilling — and is now, frankly, exhausting. The spicy tequila cocktail has become the drink equivalent of a trend you can't escape: omnipresent, derivative, and desperately in need of a successor. So where does that leave the spirit itself?
Exactly where it's always been most interesting — in the hands of bartenders who refuse to let it become a one-trick pony. India's sharpest mixologists are leading that charge, pushing tequila into territory that's savory, floral, umami-forward, and quietly cerebral.
We asked expert mixologists from bars across India to tell us their favourite tequila cocktails that step out of the shadows of the picante. Here are our favourite ones.
Neer More
Ingredients
Fresh coriander (15-20 leaves)
50 ml Green chilli-infused tequila
15 ml Velvet Falernum (rum liqueur)
20 ml Whipped yoghurt (blended curry leaf syrup, xanthan gum, yoghurt)
15 ml Caraway liqueur
7.5 ml Lime juice
Black salt (pinch)
Directions
Muddle coriander gently in the shaker. Add all remaining ingredients and ice. Shake well and fine strain. Garnish with a fresh coriander sprig.
The Neer More cocktail is inspired by the South Indian drink Neer More: a spiced buttermilk (chaas) traditionally consumed to aid digestion. According to mixologist Varun Sharma at Comorin Gurgaon, this cocktail is all about balance: the heat of the green chilli lifts the cocktail without overpowering it, while the yoghurt whip adds a silky savoury texture. Meanwhile, the curry leaves and the caraway build the aromatics that end up making the cocktail more cooling and complex in nature.
"It’s the way tequila behaves in a savoury, dairy-adjacent structure becoming softer, rounder, and more expressive," Varun says.
Beirut in Bloom
Ingredients
45 ml Hibiscus infused tequila
15 ml House-made hibiscus cordial
15 ml Fresh lime juice
15 ml Rosso vermouth
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and then shake and stir! Pour it into a Nick & Nora glass and garnish with an orange twist. Voila!
"What makes it a chef's kiss is its simplicity," says Amol Gangurde, mixologist at Olive Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai. "It’s floral, elegant, and well-balanced, while also being tequila forward. House-made hibiscus cordial, rosso vermouth, and tequila come together in a delicate balance of floral notes, gentle sweetness, and soft bitters. It’s a drink that draws you in, lingers on the palate, and turns a simple moment into one you’ll remember."
Shio
Ingredients
45 ml Tequila Blanco
10 ml Mezcal
5 ml Shio Koji
60 ml Clarified tomato water
Directions
Make the batch of the drink by mixing it all together in a bottle and chil it in the freezer for 4-6 hours until the liquid achieves a rich, syrupy texture. Pour directly into a chilled glass (no ice or stirring required). Garnish with a torched and skewered cherry tomato.
According to Trisha Koparde, mixologist at Supa San Mumbai, the Shio cocktail is an evolotion of the classic tequila-and-salt ritual. "By swapping granular salt for Shio Koji, we introduce a complex salinity that amplifies the agave while lending the drink a luxurious, velvety mouthfeel that you can't get from shaking alone," he says. "The experience culminates with the garnish, a torched cherry tomato that provides a smoky, juicy burst when eaten, acting as a bright palate cleanser that prepares your senses for the next savory sip."
Night at the Ritz
Ingredients
50 ml Tequila
10 ml Pomelo Vodka
10 ml Peach
10 ml Lime
Raspberry vinegar (2 drops)
80 ml Grapefruit soda
Directions
Mix it all in a cocktail shaker. Shake, serve, enjoy!
According to Sandeep Shrestha, the mixologist at Mr Button in New Delhi, this tequila cocktail leans more toward feeling bright and zesty. "he flavours unfold gently, with citrus upfront and depth as you go, every ingredient tuned just right so nothing steals the spotlight. It’s all about that first burst of freshness and the satisfying complexity that follows, clean, vibrant and endlessly drinkable. If you’re unsure what to order, this is the one to reach for," he says.
Japonesa's Haiboru
Ingredients
40 ml Tequila blanco
5 ml Mezcal
15 ml Chilli liqueur
20 ml Coriander peach syrup
5 ml Wasabi soy mix
20 ml Lime juice
120 ml Pineapple soda
Directions
Combine the tequila, mezcal, chilli liqueur, coriander–peach syrup, wasabi–soy mix and lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake briskly until well chilled. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice, then gently top with pineapple soda to retain its fizz. Finish with a light cap of biru foam and a tempura crisp for texture and aroma.
"The Japonesa’s Haiboru moves effortlessly from a day to night drink, starting as crisp and bright, then delivering a playful kick of chilli and wasabi," according to mixologist Mukul Kumar at the newly opened She's Here bar in Gurgaon. "Tequila and mezcal bring depth without heaviness, while coriander peach and pineapple soda create a unique balance of heat, freshness, and lift."
Yuzu TNT
Ingredients
50 ml Tequila Blanco (Foo)
20 ml Fresh Cucumber Juice
15 ml Yuzu Juice
10 ml Basil Syrup (1:1, infused)
2 dashes Saline Solution
Method
Shake all ingredients briskly with ice and then fine strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a small basil leaf placed gently on the surface & thin cucumber ribbon rested inside the glass.
"Yuzu TNT is about clarity and control, echoing Foo’s Asian-forward palate," says Foo mixologist Akash Singh. "Cucumber adds a cooling, almost textural freshness, while basil brings a soft aromatic finish. Restrained, layered, and quietly powerful, it shows tequila’s finesse through an Asian lens."
Yozora (Night Sky)
Ingredients
60 ml Tequila infused in blue pea tea
10 ml Rosemary syrup
5 ml Lavender syrup
20 ml Fresh lime juice
90 ml Tonic water
Method
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Garnish with edible gold dust and pour the drink into a Sakura highball glass.
According to Corporate Beverage Manager of Aspect Hospitality Group, Bensan Varghese, the Yozora is all about quiet complexity. "The blue pea–infused tequila gives a celestial hue without overpowering the spirit, while rosemary and lavender add a soft, aromatic orbit around crisp agave notes," he says.
Agave Heatwave
Ingredients
60 ml Tequila
15 ml Chilli liqueur
90 ml Raw mango juice
A splash of carbonated water
Method
Build up the cocktail. Pour into a Japanese highball glass and garnish with a slice of raw mango drizzled with chili powder and salt.
"Most mango cocktails lean sweet and ripe, but raw mango juice is sharp, grassy, and almost aggressive," says head mixologist at Sixteen33, Ethan Campbell. "It gives the drink a savory-sour backbone that feels more like street food than dessert and that’s rare in cocktails, what also gives you a strong flavor of spice is the brilliant home made chilly liqueur."
Passion Flash
Ingredients
60ml Desmonji
20ml Passion Puree
60ml Mango Juice
10 ml Lime Juice
1 bar spoon Tabasco
Top with Soda
Method
Completely shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Serve in a tall glass with a Tajin salt rim, garnished with chilli, flower, and mango leaf. Wrap magic paper around the rosemary garnish and burn it tableside to reveal the rosemary, which is then added to the cocktail for a flash of magic.
According to Bar Consultant Shatbhi Basu, the Passion Flash is where tropical fruit meets fiery spirit. "Where passion fruit and mango dance a saucy salsa with fiery tequila and a hint of spice — it's fresh, aromatic, and bursts with flavour when sipped through some Tajin salt," she says.
Emotion 2.0
Ingredients
60ml Tequila
20ml Bell Pepper & Marjoram Cordial
Method
Throw all ingredients together in a double rock glass with cacao butter and sourdough bread ice. Serve garnished with the textured ice pieces to evoke the feel of a Jackson Pollock painting.
According to Scarlett House's Fay Barretto, Inspiration is a cocktail meant to inspire while being an inspiration itself. "The way we've incorporated bread and butter into a drink — with the ice cured in coconut oil, cacao butter, and sourdough bread — gives it the feeling of a Jackson Pollock painting," she says.