Raise a Margarita Glass for Cinco de Mayo!

While it may be a Thursday, it’s also Cinco de Mayo, which means that as you’re indulging in some Enchiladas (May the 5^th is also National Enchilada Day) with a side of fresh home-made salsa (May is National Salsa Month), it’s only fitting to mix up a refreshing cocktail to pair with it. Margaritas often steal the show come Cinco de Mayo — and for good reason, given that they’re endlessly versatile — but there are surely other sippers to celebrate the day. Check out a few of Food Network’s favorite adults-only cocktails worthy of Cinco de Mayo in the paragraph below; each is easy to prepare and guaranteed to impress your friends at tonight’s fiesta.

Whether you like it on the rocks or chilled and frosty, the margarita with a base of tequila is a Mexican must-have. Most traditional recipes, including that for the Classic Margaritas from Food Network Magazine that showcase a base of tequila and plenty of fresh lime juice, but the cocktail can be dressed up with other fruit juices or blended to become a frozen concoction.  Browse Food Network Magazine photos of 10 Cinco de Mayo Margaritas to find more inspiration and get the how-tos for making them at home.

While you could indeed drink your margarita, if you want to think outside the ice cube tray, there’s also the option of eating it — in the form of a gelatin shot. Made with just a handful of ingredients, Lime-Shaped Margarita Gelatin Shots are bright-green party bites that use hollowed-out limes as a mold for an extra-special presentation.

Not a fan of hard liquor? Try Ingrid Hoffmann’s five-minute Michelada, made with beer and chili powder, instead. Her recipe boasts an extra punch of heat thanks to a bit of hot sauce added atop each drink.  Or, instead of shaking individual cocktails, make a pitcher of sangria to imbibe as the mood invites you on a warm spring day. From Bobby Flay’s top-rated Red Wine Sangria to the white wine and champagne varieties, this sweet sipper will serve a crowd and show off the juicy fruits of the season.

Salud!

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Photo Credit:  Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock.com