Put down the margarita and try your hand at a new tequila cocktail. Made with freshly muddled grapefruit, orange, lime and mint, this triple citrus tequila smash is bursting with bright summer flavors for one refreshing sipper. Grab a seat on the patio with a few friends and serve this fun tequila cocktail with a big bowl of chips and salsa for the quintessential summer night.

Two triple citrus tequila smashes on a marble board with cut fruit.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Step-by-Step Instructions
What Is Anejo Tequila?
Perfect Pairing
Love a Good Smash Cocktail?
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Why You'll Love This Recipe

OK, who loves margaritas?

That's what I thought, and I get it. Margaritas are easily one of my favorite cocktails, especially this time of year. I'm pretty much a permanent fixture on our patio once the warm weather hits, and finding a margarita in my hand is not uncommon. Considering the many margarita recipes on Burrata and Bubbles, like this jalepeno-mango margarita, coconut margarita and roasted strawberry margarita, that probably sounds on-brand.

But sometimes change is good as I discovered when I recently tried a tequila smash at the Rio, which is one of Denver's most popular Mexican restaurants known for its strong margaritas. Now I'll always love my margaritas, but the tequila smash was such a nice change of pace. I mean, who doesn't love a cocktail with lots of fresh mint, lime and tequila?

Naturally, I decided to try my own hand at making a tequila smash after falling in love with this cocktail, but rather than going with a simple lime variation like the one at the Rio, I had to put my own spin on this cocktail. With the warm weather returning, I can't get enough citrus in my life, so the idea of a triple citrus bomb sounded perfect.

And it is. It really is.

Bonus: If you'd like another tequila option beyond typical margaritas, my tequila sour is also delicious.

Looking down into a glass of triple citrus tequila smash on white marble.

A triple citrus tequila smash with mint leaves and fruit around it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let's jump into it. For this cocktail, we need a touch of simple syrup. You can buy simple syrup, but I prefer to make it. The process is quick and easy with ingredients you already have on hand, so to me, it seems silly to buy it. But you do you.

To make the simple syrup, we bring equal parts water and sugar to a low boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, which doesn't take long at this point, we remove the simple syrup from the heat and chill. See? How easy is that?

Now we can start on the rest of our triple citrus tequila smash. We begin by cutting grapefruit, orange and lime slices and throwing them into a cocktail shaker with fresh mint and our simple syrup. Grab a muddler and start breaking down the citrus until the trio releases all those bright juices.

From here, we add in our anejo tequila with a handful of ice and shake until the mixture is perfectly chilled. Strain that perfectly sweet and citrusy tequila smash into ice-filled glasses and add a mint sprig for garnish to make our drink even prettier. Sip away!

A straight-on view of a triple citrus tequila smash with a wooden background.

What Is Anejo Tequila?

You may have noticed that I specified anejo tequila in the recipe. There's a reason behind that.

Unlike typical silver tequila, anejo tequila is aged in oak barrels for one to three years, which adds more complexity with vanilla and fruity notes. You'll find the flavor of anejo tequila is much more nuanced than silver tequila and makes for a tastier drink.

Could you use a silver tequila in this recipe? Sure, but the end result won't be the same. I highly recommend adding a bottle of anejo tequila to your liquor cabinet. Trust me --- you'll be happy you did.

A marble board with two triple citrus tequila smashes with a wooden background.

Two triple citrus tequila smashes on the marble board.

Perfect Pairing

Obviously, you can't go wrong with a little Tex-Mex when enjoying this triple citrus tequila smash, so I'm sure you'll love this cocktail with my beer-braised Mexican shredded beef. This shredded beef slowly cooks in a rich four-chile sauce until it's melt-in-your-mouth tender, and it's perfect for tacos, nachos, enchiladas or any other Tex-Mex dish you fancy. With a triple citrus tequila smash on the side, you'll have one delicious Tex-Mex meal that everyone will love.

Oh, and you won't regret serving this tequila smash with a little tropical pico de gallo on the side for good measure.

If you're ready for something a little different from your typical summer margarita, I hope you try this triple citrus tequila smash.

Cheers!

An aerial view of the triple citrus tequila smash with a colorful napkin.

Cut fruit and mint leaves surrounding two triple citrus tequila smashes.

Love a Good Smash Cocktail?

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