Cinco de Mayo is coming

It’s that time of year again, Cinco de Mayo (5th of May).  A time where Americans look for any excuse to drink.  Much like St. Patrick’s Day, New Years and the 4th…this is a holiday primarily for adults, and a themed reason to drink tequila….yet there is so much more to the date.

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a holiday celebrated in the United States and primarily limited to the state of Puebla in Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States (also voluntarily) and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.  Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

In America, this translates to a trip to the local Chi-Chi’s or Mexican Restaurant and another Amateur Night where people who don’t normally drink consume mass amounts of Cheap Tequila (Jose Quervo). 

While I could care less about Mexican Politics (Remember the Alamo), I always love a good reason to drink…so let’s examine some recipes you can use at home.

In the article “Tequila, a Cinco de Mayo must” , there are several good recipies to try:

Margarita

1-2 ounces of tequila

• 1 ounce of Cointreau or triple sec (orange-flavored liquor)

• Almost an ounce of fresh-squeezed lime juice

• Top off with sour mix or soda water

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with margarita salt.

The Rockin' Paloma

Mixologist Alex Straus designed this fresh cocktail for Cabo Wabo tequila.

• 2 ounces Cabo Wabo Reposado

• 1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice

• 6 ounces grapefruit-flavored soda

• splash of grenadine

• 1 cucumber

Muddle three cucumber slices with tequila and lime juice. Shake with ice, then add soda and shake more. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass with a salted rim. Drop a splash of grenadine on top (don't stir it in) and garnish with a cucumber slice.

Blazin' Shooter

This shot could also be called "the mistake."

• 1 1/2 ounce of blanco tequila

• A few dashes of hot sauce

Add a few dashes of hot sauce to the bottom of a shot glass. Add tequila and garnish with a lime wedge.

 

Of course, if Tequila is not your forte….there are several Mexican Beers as well, just stay away from the Corona….it doesn’t get more cliche than that.