Tequila

This cocktail takes all the best elements of a margarita—tequila, citrus, and sugar—and combines them with the dry, summery fun of rosé.

Coffee-Cherry Simple Syrup lends fruity and floral notes to this refreshing summer cocktail. The name is misleading: the syrup contains neither cherries nor coffee beans. When harvesting coffee, farmers pick coffee cherries, which are shelled for their bean pits. The beans are roasted to become the coffee you know. While the cherries are usually discarded, you can actually steep their husks in hot water for an aromatic tea.

Find dried hibiscus flowers at Mexican grocery stores, or buy tea bags at the supermarket.

Cinnamon and cherry give this tequila concoction a festive, wintry vibe.

The Pale Rider swaps out fruit for jalapeno and simply adds manzanilla, a small dose of cane syrup, and lime.

This frosty drink is as refreshing as frozen lemonade but has the added lushness of summer melon. Fresh thyme gives the fruit’s sweetness some grown-up dimension.

This slushy blender cocktail is perfect for whiling away the summer hours.

The Paloma—often made with store bought grapefruit soda—is Mexico'’s most popular cocktail. This fancified version uses grilled fresh grapefruit and grilled lime to give the drink a slightly smoky edge.

The spicy and perfectly tart shrub (flavored drinking vinegar) gives this pitcher-friendly cocktail a refreshing quality.

For this Thanksgiving-in-a-glass cocktail, feel free to sub (thawed) frozen cranberries for fresh.

Persimmons are one of the hallmarks of fall. From the time the temperature drops until the holidays, persimmons start making their way to the local farmers' market. The waiting game can be almost unbearable, but once they are finally ripe, the reward justifies the wait. My favorite thing to do with persimmons is to press the ultra-ripe fruit through a fine-mesh strainer, discard the skin and seeds, and shake the resulting pulp into my fall Margaritas.

Are you There God? It's Me, Margaret. (1970)
By Judy Blume Move over, wizards. Make room, vampires. For many of us, Margaret was the original YA superstar, even if her epic battles were of the religion-and-puberty kind. (Actually, especially because of that.) Point is, Margaret showed us how to face all of life's big ol' quandaries, from God to boys to bra size. Ninety bucks says when Maggie got to college, she faced an even headier question: how the hell do you make a margarita without a blender? (Hint: on the rocks, kid.) Don't worry, Madges of the world, we've got your back. We'll even hold your hair when you've had one too many.

This is an impressive three-layered popsicle. Make sure each layer is completely frozen before adding the next, as it looks great when the layers are really well defined.

The tequila sunrise and the margarita come together in this frozen drink recipe that's bursting with citrus notes and a refreshing tang.

Sugary mixes turn classic margs into calorie bombs. Limeade gives this boozy bev some sweetness without the sugar overload.

This recipe is part of the Epicurious Online Cooking School, in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America. To watch it being made, and to learn how to make other Mexican classics, check out the videos.

Forget the mezcal. Use this chile-infused tequila in Margaritas and Palomas—salt-rimmed cocktails made with tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda.