Recipes: Day of the Dead cocktails

Dia de los Muertos- or Day of the Dead- is a Mexican holiday celebrated between 31st October-2nd November. It's a celebration of ancestors who have passed and their spiritual journeys. What better way to celebrate than with cocktails?

Mexican mint mule (see above)

Serves: 4

Ingredients
Ice cubes
120ml tequila
3 limes
Fresh mint leaves
2 x 500ml bottles Fever-tree Premium Ginger Beer

Method
1. Place the ice cubes in a large jug and stir in the tequila and the juice of 2 limes.

2. Thinly slice the remaining lime and add to the jug with a large handful of fresh mint leaves. Pour in the ginger beer, stir and serve in tumbler glasses.

Paloma cocktail

Preparation time:10 minutes

Paloma-cocktail

Serves: 8
Ingredients
300ml tequila, chilled
800ml pink grapefruit juice, chilled
125ml sugar syrup (such as Monin Pur Sucre de Canne)
Juice of 4 limes
Plenty of ice, to serve
Soda water, chilled, to serve
Lime wedges and mint sprigs, to serve

Method
1. Mix the tequila with the grapefruit juice, sugar syrup and lime juice.

2. Pour the mixture equally into 8 tall glasses filled with ice. Top up with soda water and add the lime wedges and mint to serve.

Cook's tip
For an alcohol-free version, omit the tequila and adjust the amount of sugar syrup to taste. Choose premium tequila such as Herradura Plata or Patron, available from Waitrose Cellar.

Classic Margarita

Add a rim of salt to the glass for authenticity

Serves: 1

Margarita

Ingredients
• 2 shots Jose Cuervo Clasico Tequila
• 1 shot Cointreau triple sec
• 1 shot freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt to rim the glass
• Lime slices, for garnishing

Method
1. Shake the first 3 ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled, salted Margarita glass and garnish. Cointreau available to purchase at Waitrose Cellar.

Margarita with a Twist

For the cocktail:
• 2 strawberries, hulled and cut in half
• 2 slices of cucumber
• 2 slices of orange
• 6 mint leaves
• 50ml Jose Cuervo Tequila
• 30ml triple sec or Cointreau
• 25ml lime juice
• 10ml summer cup, Pimms or Sipsmith

To garnish:
• 1 strawberry, hulled and sliced
• 2 slices cucumber
• 1 slice orange
• 6 mint leaves

Method:
1. In your cocktail shaker; muddle the strawberries, cucumber, orange and mint.

2. Next add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and summer cup.

3. Fill the shaker 3/4 full of ice and shake for 10 seconds until well mixed and chilled.

4. Strain into a glass and top up with ice and the strawberry, cucumber and orange slices as well as the mint leaves

5. Spirits mentioned available to buy at Waitrose Cellar

See more at www.waitrosecellar.com/spirits/spirit-type/tequila