Arizona Inspired Cocktails You Can't Miss!

Having a relaxing night in with your significant other?  Are the girls coming over for a dinner party ? Or maybe you simply want to unwind and enjoy a drink to yourself because it’s been THAT kind of a day….. well cheers to that! We don’t judge. Enjoy these easy to make Arizona inspired drinks because let’s be honest, I think we have all earned a good cocktail for making it past this hectic year. 

Tequila Sunrise

 Invented in 1930 at the Gene Sulit of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, this colorful cocktail is said to be inspired by the beautiful Arizona Sunset! 

Ingredients (serves 1) 

1/12 oz tequila, 3/4 cup orange juice, 3/4 oz grenadine syrup, 1 orange slice, 1 cherry

 Directions:

Fill your highball glass with ice

Pour in your tequila and orange juice

Slowly add in you grenadine syrup allowing it to settle in the bottom

Add your orange slide to the edge of the glass and throw in your cherry

Prickly Pear Margarita 

This delicious drink is inspired by the juicy fruit that grows on cacti found throughout the southwest. It’s fun, tasty, unique, and alcoholic need I say more? 

Ingredients (serves 1)

3 oz tequila blanco, 1/2 ounce Cointreau, 1 1/2 oz lime juice, 2 oz prickly pear syrup, salt and sugar, 1 lime slice

Directions

Fill your glass with ice

Add your tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and pear syrup into a cocktail shaker and shake shake shake

Wet the rim of your glass and dip into your salt and sugar mixture ( this step is optional for garnish but is it really a margarita if the rim isn’t lined with salt ? Exactly, don’t skip this step)

Pour the prickly pear margarita into your glass and garnish with a slice of lime

The Arizona Republic

Invented in 1910 The Arizona Republic is one of the oldest known cocktails created in the southwest. This drink was invented in Phoenix’s old Ford Hotel the Arizona in celebration of the U.S Congress passing the Arizona Statehood Bill which was the first step towards Arizona becoming an official state. This bill allowed for the creation of what would later be known as our state constitution, we can raise a celebratory glass to that!

Ingredients (Serves 1)

3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge, 3/4 oz Rye Whiskey, Dash of Gum Syrup, Dash of Angostura Bitters, Ginger Ale, 1 cherry, and 1 lemon slice

Directions

Fill a glass with ice

Mix together your Dubonnet, whiskey, gum, and bitters then pour into glass

Fill the rest of the glass with ginger ale

Garnish with a cherry and a lemon slice

If you loved these drinks and were left wanting to explore more tasty concoctions make sure to stop by Westbound at MSA Annex and Agustin Kitchen at Mercado District to try their delicious mixology menu!