On the Rocks: Cuatro Margaritas for Cinco de Mayo
TLF Travel Consultant Jordy Lievers-Eaton is always up for happy hour. On the Rocks is her ode to all things shaken, stirred, and sipped.
Mexico has something for culture vultures, outdoor enthusiasts, beach bums, history buffs, city dwellers, escapists – you name it, and our neighbor nation can probably deliver. But nothing pulls my daydreams south of the border like the cuisine. The variety is vast and regional, but whether I’m chasing street meats in CDMX, mole negro in Oaxaca, cochinita pibil in the Yucatán, or Baja-style beer battered fish tacos in Cabo, you can bet I’m washing it down with a margarita on the rocks (salt rim, obvs.) This year we’re all celebrating Cinco de Mayo in our casas, but I’ll be visualizing tacos al pastor sliced from a spit and whipping up one of these specialty margs from TLF’s favorite Mexican hotels to celebrate.
Las Alcobas, Mexico City
Located in the sophisticated neighborhood of Polanco, the 35-room boutique Las Alcobas is a chic alternative to the area’s larger luxury brands. Designed by Yabu Pushelberg, Las Alcobas features the New York designer’s signature sleek design paired with locally made furnishings and artwork. Along with an acclaimed on-site spa, the hotel’s two on-site restaurants, Anatol and Dulce Patria, are considered destination dining for all Mexico City visitors.
Getting here: 30 minutes’ drive from Mexico City Airport.
Margarita Ensenada
Ingredients
1/4 cup Don Julio 70 Tequila
2 tbsp Controy or triple sec
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp simple syrup
1/4 cup Sea Salt Foam see recipe below
Sea Salt Foam
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp sea salt
Blend sugar, water and sea salt with a hand blender and scoop out with a slotted spoon.
Instructions
Mix all ingredients thru simple syrup and shake with ice. Strain into glass. Top with foam. Garnish with lime zest.
Four Seasons Punta Mita
This whimsical resort in the Riviera Nayarit is a breezy, colorful retreat, where guests can unwind with a massage infused with tequila or agave. This away-from-it-all playfulness extends to the rest of the property as well: the golf carts are painted in vibrant colors inspired by Mexican street art, and you can enjoy a mezcal tasting accompanied by fried grasshopper tacos. End the day with your feet in the sand at happy hour on the beach at the Shack Bar, which feels worlds away from any idea you may have of a hermetic, generic “resort.”
Getting here: 45 minutes from Puerta Vallarta International Airport.
Margarita Aguachile
Ingredients
1.5 oz Don Julio tequila reposado
1 oz Cointreau
2 oz jalapeño syrup see recipe below
Dash lime cilantro salt or coarse sea salt
1 jalapeño
Jalapeño syrup
1 English cucumber
1 jalapeño
40 grams cilantro
10 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
2.5 cups simple syrup
Add all the ingredients in the blender and blend until you get a liquid consistency.
Instructions
Rim a margarita glass with cilantro salt. Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour contents into the margarita glass and garnish with a caramelized jalapeño.
Hotel Esencia
Located on a beautiful stretch of white sand beach with nothing much else around, it certainly doesn’t feel like you’re conveniently located between the boho energy of Tulum and the five star mega-resorts of Riviera Maya—but that’s exactly the space that Hotel Esencia occupies. Originally the private home of an Italian duchess, the style is Mexican minimalist, with white washed walls and linens along with colorful punches of indigenous textiles. A full-size pool, spa featuring natural Mayan remedies, and complimentary morning yoga make this special place popular with likeminded, laid-back guests.
Getting here: Fifty minutes south of Cancún and thirty minutes north of Tulum by car.
Esencia Margarita
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Tequila Casa Dragones Blanco
3/4 oz Cointreau
2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
5 grams ginger, chopped
1/2 oz simple syrup
Fresh rosemary
Instructions
In a cocktail shaker, muddle simple syrup with a small rosemary twig and the chopped ginger. Add Tequila Casa Dragones Blanco, Cointreau, fresh grapefruit juice and some ice cubes. Shake well. Double strain and serve on the rocks in a salt-rimmed Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a rosemary twig and a flamed grapefruit peel.
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
A hacienda-style property at the foot of Colonia Centro, the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende makes its presence known with its bright red exterior, bubbling stone fountains, and meticulously manicured gardens. Hulking wooden entry doors give way to a mesmerizing courtyard, where ivy-covered walls draw the eye up toward the sky. Though the Rosewood has an outdoor pool and a small spa, the majority of guests spend their days exploring the colonial city before returning for cocktails on the hotel’s buzzy rooftop – a popular bar with the city’s best views.
Getting here: One hour 15 minutes’ drive from Del Bajio Airport, Leon/Guanajuato.
Fresa y Lavanda Margarita
Ingredients
2 oz Tequila Reposado
1 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz strawberry puree
3 Lavender blossoms
Ice
Instructions
Fill blender with all ingredients, Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve; garnish with fresh lavender and a sliced strawberry.