3 Easy Tequila Pitcher Drinks for Cinco De Mayo

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Now that we finally seem to have wiped the winter cobwebs from our eyes and beautiful, sunny days are here again, let's also dust off one of our fave springtime activities.... drinking pitchers of boozy beverages outdoors* with friends!

Margaritas are undoubtedly already on your Cinco de Mayo menu (including a fruity variation or five), so we thought we would offer up a few other refreshing tequila-based drinks to try. All of these cocktails can be easily mixed in a big batch, so they're ready for as big a party as you decide to throw.

*These cocktails are equally delicious when consumed indoors.

Tequila and Campari with Tangerine

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Salmon-hued and packed with a nice punch, this cocktail is a warm weather option for Negroni lovers. Tequila pairs beautifully with bitter ingredients like Campari, and an aged tequila lends depth. Fresh tangerine juice adds sweetness and just the right amount of bright acidity to keep everything fresh and lively.

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Quick and Easy Margarita Shandy

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This super-easy pitcher drink offers all of the refreshment of a bubbly shandy along with the tartness of a margarita. Reposado tequila is perfect for this cocktail. Aged longer than a silver tequila, but without the full-blown depth of an añejo, reposado tequila (we love Gran Centenario) has the character that you need to stand up to the addition of beer but without stealing the show.

Fresh juice is the way to go when you're mixing one or two cocktails, but when I'm looking for a quick pitcher full of drinks for a thirsty crowd, frozen limeade is a compromise I'm willing to make. The addition of beer adds the slightest effervescence and savoriness that makes your mouth water and mimics a lightly salted margarita.

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Bitter Salty Perro

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Since there is still some great citrus around to be taken advantage of, I figure it should be snapped up and juiced immediately. In this pitcher cocktail, fresh tart pink grapefruit juice is front and center, paired with herbal silver tequila or a joven mezcal. Everything about this cocktail is young, tart, and sassy, just right for a Cinco de Mayo brunch party. The acidity of the grapefruit, the bright tequila, and the bitter bubbly tonic with salt will cut through a plate of chilaquiles like a diamond on glass.

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