Feliz Día de los Muertos, pals. It’s that time of year again; all things spooky are coming out to play. If you’re gearing up for a special Día de los Muertos or looking to keep it low-key, look no further.
What is Día de los Muertos?
Día de los Muertos, or “Day of The Dead,” is the day right after Halloween. Starting on November 1st and continuing to November 2nd, this holiday is about honoring the dead with the dead. What’s so special about this holiday is that it gives people a chance to celebrate life and death instead of mourning. There is no other holiday like Día de los Muertos, as November 1st-2nd have different times to celebrate different deceased loved ones.
When the clock strikes midnight on November 1st, it’s called Día de los Angelitos (day of the little angels), the first specific time during Día de los Muertos to honor children. Many people decorate an altar and bring the child’s favorite toys, snacks, music, and photos to help them reunite with their child for 24 hours.
At midnight on November 2nd, it’s called Día de los Difuntos, which honors the spirits of adults who have passed. While it’s similar to the night before, there are more adult themes for the night. Instead of their favorite toys, they take shots of tequila, pan de muetro, and mezcal. They laugh, tell stories, play games, and dance.
The holiday takes its grand finale at noon on November 2nd, Día de los Muertos. If you’re unfamiliar with Dia De Los Muertos, you’ve probably seen this part of the celebration. There are big parties, and even parades with people dressed up with Calavera painted faces. This is the joy.
If you’re looking to join a celebration of a deceased loved one and need help deciding which cocktail to make…boy, do we have cocktails for you.
The 3 Best Tequila Cocktails to Celebrate Día de los Muertos
Tequila and Día de los Muertos go hand in hand – that’s a given. Around this time of year, you’ll see many people with at least one bottle of Don Julio Blanco in their cart on their way home to take shots or make their own cocktails. Here are our favorites below.
Spicy Watermelon Margarita with Don Julio Blanco
This cocktail is a Día de los Muertos legend. After you’re down scrooping out the watermelon, you can then decorate the watermelon like you would a pumpkin.
You’ll need:
- Cocktail shaker
- Ice
- 1 seedless watermelon
- 1 part salt
- 1 part chili powder
- Lime wedges
- 2 ounces fresh watermelon juice
- 1 ½ ounce of Don Julio Blanco tequila
- ¾ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce of fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar or simple syrup
- 1 small jalapeño round
Instructions:
- Grab a small plate and mix the salt and chili powder together.
- Grab a glass, moisten the rim (we like to use lime juice), and dip the rim of the glass into the salt and chili powder.
- Scoop the fresh watermelon into a blender and blend until it’s juiced. Boom. You’ve just made watermelon juice.
- Pour watermelon juice, lime juice, orange juice, Don Julio Blanco tequila, and simple syrup into a shower with ice.
- Put the lid on the shaker and shake, shake, shake. (around 30 seconds).
- Strain into your already dipped glass and sip away.
Don Julio Paloma
Want something a bit more fruity and light? This cocktail uses Don Julio’s Reposado, which makes it a wonderful mid-day refresher.
You’ll need:
- Cocktail shaker
- 2 ounces of Don Julio Reposado
- 1.5 tbsp of fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of agave nectar
- Ice
- 1 lime or grapefruit slice slice
- Dash of soda water or grapefruit juice (optional)
Instructions:
- Pour the ice into your cocktail shaker.
- Add the Don Julio Reposado, lime juice, and agave nectar into the shaker.
- Shake well and strain into a glass over ice.
- Top off the cocktail with your soda water or grapefruit juice (optional).
- Add a lime slice or grapefruit peel for garnish.
Don Julio Añejo Old Fashioned
This cocktail is great to sip on for those quiet moments of quality time with loved ones. Go around and tell your most cherished memories while slowly sipping on this old-fashioned twist.
You’ll need:
- 1.5 ounces of Don Julio Añejo Tequila
- 1 tsp of simple syrup
- 2 dashes of aromatic bitters
- 1 orange peel for garnish
- Mixing glass
- 1 big ice cube
Instructions:
- Add the Don Julio Añejo Tequila, simple syrup, milk, and bitters into a mixing glass.
- Stir until thoroughly chilled and mixed.
- Add a dash of nutmeg for garnish.
- Strain over the ice cube into a glass of your choice.
- Add the orange peel for garnish.
- Sip. Enjoy. Celebrate.
This extraordinary holiday is a day to celebrate with the dead. Grab a glass and listen to all the kind words your loved ones have to say. Enjoy this joyful holiday.
