Too Many Cooks: Our Favorite Tequila Cocktails

You'll be hearing from the staff at Food52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more. 

Today: We're discussing our favorite tequila cocktails, brought to you by Patrón Tequila. Sign up for a chance to dine at the next Patrón Secret Dining Society.

Everybody has their cocktail of choice. Some like it fruity, others bitter, and others full of fragrant herbs. This week, we were feeling inspired by one spirit in particular, so we asked our team:

What's your favorite tequila cocktail?

Most of us leaned towards the margarita (you can't go wrong with a classic), though everyone has their own preferences: salt rims, crushed ice, hits of spice. Read on for all our answers, plus a couple of handy formulas for tequila cocktails. And then share your favorite in the comments!

Maggie: I have to go margarita -- but I'm also dying to try something called All the King's Men.

Bryce: Jalapeño margarita, hands down. I also make a mean crushed ice margarita in ye olde blender. I'm also a fan of sipping tequila.

Christina: I'll have what she's having.

Michael: I think margaritas are just about perfect, but I also like to use añejo tequilas in place of whiskey in classic drinks. Tequila old fashioned, baby.

Kenzi: I'm with Michael. I'll go margarita, with flaky salt on the rim.

Amanda Li: +1 for margaritas.

Jennifer: Kristen introduced me to an East Village Mexican restaurant called Mercadito. I love their traditional margarita with lime and orange which you can add smoke to. It has this underlying smokey finish -- it will blow your mind!

Lindsay: Margarita -- rimmed with basil salt.

Gabriella: Margaritas, always. (All this talk about them makes me want one right now.)

Emma: Margarita. I'm sorry for not being creative, but it's the best. Chips and guacamole on the side, please.

Lauren: A Patrón mojito with extra mint.

Merrill: I'm hopping on Lauren's tequila mojito train...

Marian: I like spicy tequila cocktails; they make me feel brave.

Maddy: Bloody Maria -- a Bloody Mary with tequila. Extra spicy, please.

Jason: +1 Bloody Maria!

Kristen: This sour, please.

Brette: I'm a fan of the Paloma!

Amanda: +1 for the Paloma!

Allison: I'm really into spicy tequila cocktails these days -- especially ones that include habanero and ginger beer and candied ginger.

Hannah: I’m not much of a drinker -- but I wouldn’t pass on Tequila Lime Flank Steak Fajita Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette.

Sarah: How much will everyone judge me if I say tequila sunrise? The kind with OJ -- because it's got Vitamin C.

And then, Karl and Michael had to break things down for us:

Karl: Here's how to make any citrus tequila drink:

1 shot tequila
4 tablespoons citrus juice 
1 shot of syrup (I've used simple syrup, maple syrup, hickory syrup, and honey diluted with hot water)
Salt the rim!

Michael: Getting even more abstract than Karl, the Margarita is an example of a New Orleans Sour (I think Gary "Gaz" Regan might have coined this term). Other members of this cocktail family are the Whiskey Sour, the Sidecar, and the Daiquiri. The standard ratios for any of these drinks is:

3 parts spirit
2 parts sour stuff
1 part sweet stuff

So:

Margarita = tequila + lime + orange liqueur (salt rim)
Whiskey Sour = whiskey + lemon + simple syrup
Sidecar = cognac + lemon + orange liqueur (sugar rim)
Daiquiri = white rum + lime + simple syrup
??? = mezcal + verjus + honey syrup

You get the idea. But I digress...

Tell us: What tequila cocktail do you like best?

Secrets are no fun. Except for when they're exciting. Sign up for a chance to dine at the next Patrón Secret Dining Society -- you and three friends could get whisked away to a mystery destination for a weekend.

This article was brought to you by Patrón Tequila.