The best cocktails to celebrate Día De Los Muertos

Before we get into the celebrations, it’s worth remembering that Día de los Muertos, or ‘Day of the Dead’, is not a Mexican version of Halloween. Whereas Halloween is a dark night of terror and mischief, the Day of the Dead festivities unfold over November 1st and 2nd in an explosion of colour and life-affirming joy. With this in mind, it is only right that the glass you raise in memory of lost loved ones is appropriately celebratory.

And, crucially, if you’re looking to make the ultimate Día de los Muertos drinks, you’ll need a premium Mexican spirit to act as the base. We asked the experts at Don Julio and Patrón to give us their favourite cocktail recipes to shake up in celebration this weekend.

Ingredients

30ml Don Julio 70 tequila, 30ml Aecorn dry aperitif or Luxardo bitter bianco, 20ml Cocchi americano, 10ml Dolin dry white

Method

1. Add all ingredients into an ice-filled stirring glass
2. Stir for 20 seconds
3. Strain and serve into a tumbler glass filled with cubed ice
4. Garnish with pink grapefruit zest

Ingredients

35ml Patrón Silver tequila, 22ml Cempasúchil/Vanilla Syrup, 15ml Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur, 15ml Lemon Juice

Method

1. Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice
2. Shake to combine
3. Strain into a coupe glass
4. Garnish with dehydrated blood orange wheel

Ingredients

50ml Patrón Silver tequila, 75ml Grapefruit juice, 15ml Lemon juice, 15ml St~Germain Elderflower Liqueur, 15ml Hibiscus syrup*

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice
2. Shake to chill and combine
3. Strain into a salt & dried hibiscus-rimmed collins glass filled with fresh ice

*Hibiscus syrup: In a heatproof bowl, combine 8 oz hot simple syrup with two hibiscus tea bags and let steep for five minutes. Discard the tea bags and let the syrup cool. Transfer the syrup to a jar, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Ingredients

1.5oz Don Julio 70 tequlia, Topo Chico Mineral Water, Dried grapefruit wheels

Method

1. Pour Don Julio 70 in a high ball glass
2. Top off with Topo Chico Mineral Water
3. Garnish with dried grapefruit wheel

Ingredients

50ml Patrón Añejo tequila, 1 bar spoon caramel sweetcorn syrup, 1 dash bitters

Method

1. Add ingredients over ice, 2. Stir with bar spoon, 3. Garnish with orange peel

Ingredients, Patrón XO Cafe, Lemon juiceGinger beerMint sprig for garnish

Method

1. Over ice, add Patrón XO Cafe and lemon juice.
2. Top with ginger beer.
3. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Ingredients

2 cups dried hibiscus flowers, 2 quarts water, 1/2 cup sugar per pitcher of jamaica, Hibiscus Concentrate.

Method

1. Add the dried hibiscus flowers to 2 quarts of water, and bring to boil.
2. Once it boils, reduce the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
4. Put one-third of this mixture into a pot, and add sugar.
5. Stir vigorously to dissolve the sugar.
6. Add ice cubes and serve.

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