Cinco de Mayo at Home: Recipes, Margaritas and Entertaining Ideas

Chef-driven recipes, bar-worthy margaritas and tequila tips from hotels, resorts and standout bars.

Cinco de Mayo is an interesting holiday. While it commemorates a battle that was fought in Mexico, it isn’t widely celebrated there. Even more perplexing, outside of Mexico, it’s often confused with Mexican Independence Day—which actually falls on September 16.

For those interested in the origins of this festive day, Cinco de Mayo marks the Battle of Puebla, fought on May 5, 1862, when the small town of Puebla defeated invading French troops.

So why is Cinco de Mayo such a big deal north of the border? The celebration began in California in 1863 as a symbol of solidarity with Mexico against France. And Americans being Americans, we rarely pass up a reason to celebrate.

Spice Up Your Fiesta Space

Prep your home with the red, white and green colors of the Mexican flag using bandanas, towels, streamers or whatever you have on hand. Involve the kids in making a piñata that you can fill with candy or small toys. Balloons—any colors—work just fine.

Guacamole courtesy Solmar Hotels & Resorts

Start with Guacamole

You can source many recipes online for tacos, burritos, elote and other Mexican treats, but guacamole is the one starter that should be on the table first. Try this guacamole lesson from NicksKitchen.

Solmar Hotels & Resorts shares this straightforward version with a kick:

·         1 ripe avocado

·         Chili pepper, to taste

·         ¼ cup onion, finely chopped

·         ½ tablespoon crushed garlic

·         Fresh cilantro

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 tablespoons lime juice

·         Salt and pepper

Mash to your preferred consistency, taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Build the Table

From there, bring in a few dishes that bring color, heat and texture.

Fajitas are a surefire winner for all. Velas Resorts suggests a red sauce and avocado version with smoked sausage, red onion, green and red bell peppers, mushrooms and avocado.

Tacos can be even easier, with ground meat, chicken, veggies and a Paleo fish version with tilapia, coconut, egg and spices such as cumin.

Elotes, grilled yellow street corn on the cob or as a salad, garnished with cotija cheese, cilantro and lime, make a colorful side dish.

Fajitas courtesy Velas Resorts

Cue the Soundtrack

You will need a soundtrack for the evening, and Spotify has Cinco de Mayo playlists that can keep the energy going well past dinner. One option is Victoria Stewart Malone's playlist, with 146 songs.

Margaritas, Of Course, But Not Just Margaritas

No Cinco de Mayo celebration would be complete without some sort of margarita. Traditional versions with fresh lime are always welcome, but these variations from brands, hotels and restaurants go beyond the expected without requiring impossible-to-find ingredients.

 PATRÓN Coconut-Cucumber Margarita

·         1.5 oz. PATRÓN Silver

·         2 oz. coconut water

·         ½ oz. fresh lime juice

·         ½ oz. simple syrup

·         7 thin slices of cucumber (3 for garnish)

The coconut water softens the drink while cucumber keeps it clean and refreshing.

PATRÓN Spicy Reposado Margarita

·         2 oz. PATRÓN Reposado

·         1 oz. fresh lime juice

·         1 oz. agave syrup

·         3 jalapeño slices

·         Tajín rim, lime wheel garnish

This version adds heat without losing the lime-driven snap that makes a margarita work.

Guavarita, from Hotel Xcaret Arte Mexico

 ·         3 oz. tequila reposado

·         1.5 oz. guava nectar

·         Lime wedge

The guava gives the drink a fruitier profile and makes it easy to batch for a group, whether frozen or liquid.

A New York Spin

Outside Mexico, New York City is a pro at keeping Cinco de Mayo festive with recipes you can make at home.

Midtown's Mustang Harry's gives the margarita an Irish spin with the O'Rita:

·         2 oz. El Tesoro silver tequila

·         1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice

·         1 oz. simple syrup

·         1/2 oz. Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

To garnish, turn half a lime husk inside out to create a small "shot glass," fill it with Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey and carefully set it on top.

My smoky favorite is a Mezcalita that substitutes mezcal for tequila and adds a roasty zing. Add pineapple juice, muddle a piece of roasted pineapple if you have it, sprinkle in a bit of Cointreau and rim the glass with Tajín, the classic Mexican chili, salt and lime mix.

Mezcal Manhattan courtesy La Esquina NYC

Or make it smoky, sweet and bitter with a Mezcal Manhattan from La Esquina NYC:

·         2 oz. Doña Vega Espadín mezcal

·         1 oz. sweet vermouth

·         3 dashes Angostura bitters

·         Orange peel, maraschino cherry or brandy cherry for garnish

The Key to the Party:  How to Taste Tequila

And finally, since this really is a holiday that often revolves around tequila, it helps to know the proper way to taste and drink the potent spirit. Javier Moreno Gomez, tequila and wine sommelier at Grand Residences Riviera Cancun, offers these tips:

To appreciate the subtleties of tequila, drink it in a wine glass. Similar to the methods used for wine and other spirits, the basic tasting method is swirl, sniff, sip and swallow.

First, observe the color. A blanco will be clear, while a reposado or añejo will show deeper hues from time in oak. Color does not determine flavor, but it suggests aging and complexity.

Swirl the tequila. Look for the legs, or tears of the agave. These indicate essential oils in the tequila and the presence of alcohol. Faster-moving tears suggest less body; slower tears suggest more viscosity. Swirling the liquid also releases molecules into the air.

Tequila has more alcohol than wine and can reveal as many as 600 different aromas, including citrus, mint, freshly cut grass, floral notes, honey, oak, almond, vanilla, butterscotch, chocolate, leather and caramel.

Take a small sip and hold it in your mouth for about 10 seconds while drawing in a bit of air. Move it across the tongue to reach sweet, sour, bitter and salty zones, then draw in a little air over the top of the tequila to bring the aromas up to your nose. Breathe out through your nose before swallowing.

Swallow and savor the finish and aftertaste. Remember that everything you eat beforehand will affect the flavor of the tequila.