Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching, and for many people, that means it’s time to plan for a fantastic holiday party with all of your friends and family! While you might have some excellent party-planning skills, there’s one thing many people don’t account for when planning their Cinco de Mayo celebrations: the drinks.
Having the best holiday parties means having the best food and drink to guarantee a fun time. If you want to spice up your Cinco de Mayo party and master throwing the best family celebrations, we’ve got you covered. Here are the 12 best Mexican-party drink ideas to kick your Cinco de Mayo celebration up a notch this year.
1. The Traditional Margarita
Families and friends will rejoice at the sight of a tasty margarita when they arrive at your Cinco de Mayo celebration. While you can add any number of twists to make your margarita sweeter or spicier, you can also stick to the traditional version: a salted rim, tasty tequila, lime, agave nectar, sea salt, and Cointreau are all you need to whip up this drink for your adult friends.
Bottom line: there’s no going wrong with a margarita, no matter what you’re celebrating. Why not take things to the next level and add a margarita bar?
2. Mexican Hot Chocolate
Cinco de Mayo celebrations should be fun and festive for everyone in the family, whether or not they drink alcoholic beverages. Along with putting a spin on some classic recipes by finding a non-alcoholic version, offer classic, tasty drinks like Mexican hot chocolate.
While it might be warm in May, that shouldn’t stop you from offering this rich drink with a kick. Full of bold, mouth-watering flavors with a bit of spice to shock your tastebuds, there’s no doubt that Mexican hot chocolate will be a hit at all of your family celebrations.
3. The Paloma
If you want to shake things up with your cocktails, consider offering guests a classic Paloma. With grapefruit soda and tequila tossed together for a perfectly-balanced sweet and sour taste, the Polama is fast, easy to make, and pleasing to the tastebuds. If you’re considering catering for your celebration, ensure you have a Paloma on hand to tame your mouth after eating spicy food.
4. The Horchata
Nothing beats a classic horchata when it comes to Mexican drinks. Horchata is iconic for a reason: it’s downright delicious. Its sweet, creamy flavor with a touch of cinnamon compliments any dish. Made from agua fresca, ground rice, soaked almonds, and cinnamon, horchata can go with anything and are a perfect option to ensure a balance of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for your party. Like the Paloma, horchata can help soothe your palette if you struggle with spicier flavors. Bottom line? A horchata is pretty tough to resist.
5. The Michelada
If you prefer your drinks on the savory side, consider offering the Michelada at your Cinco de Mayo get-together. This unique cocktail is similar to a traditional Bloody Mary but differs in some fundamental ways. Combining Mexican beer, Clamato, spices, lime, hot sauce, and other sauces, the Michelada is packed with solid flavors suitable for anyone seeking a drink that stands out.
6. The Agua Fresca
This drink is far more than just your average fresh water–you can make the agua fresca with pretty much any fruit to create a mouth-watering fruit juice perfect for the hot weather. Choose multiple fruits to give your guests plenty of options when choosing their beverage. If you want to take things up a notch with some fresh fruits, sugar, and vodka, agua fresca is a must-have at any Cinco de Mayo gathering.
7. The Mezcalita
If you like oranges and spice, the mezcalita is right up your alley. This drink is a delicious, orange juice-based beverage with a slight bitterness, spice, and some alcohol for anyone looking to party with friends during Cinco de Mayo.
The mezcalita is jam-packed with complex flavors, and you test your spice tolerance by adding a few extra jalapeños into the mix. If you don’t mind your drinks matching the spice in your food, you might find your new favorite drink in this Mexican classic.
8. The Sangrita
Don’t mistake it for a sangria–the delicious Sangrita is well-deserving of its spot on our list, even if it’s not as well-known as the former. A Sangrita is a tasty cocktail with various citrus juices, Mexican spices, and tequila. Unlike sangria, which originated in Spain and is wine-based, a Sangrita is a Mexican cocktail that suits any Cinco de Mayo celebration. Its refreshing flavors make the Sangrita a must for your Cinco de Mayo get-together.
9. The Tepache
Tepache de Piña is a tasty, traditional craft beer made from pineapple peels, giving the drink its title of pineapple beer. Combined with sugar and various spices, the Tepache is a classic that should be a staple for any family gathering.
With pre-colonial roots, Tepache has been increasingly popular in recent years. With minimal alcohol content (typically about 2% ABV), Tepache is the perfect beverage to offer family and friends at your Cinco de Mayo party.
10. The Ponche
This drink is perfect for a festive occasion like Cinco de Mayo. The Ponche is a warm, comforting beverage that shouldn’t be reserved for winter celebrations. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the mouthwatering combination of brown sugar, apples, pears, prunes, cinnamon, raisins, and other flavorful ingredients packed into a cup of Ponche.
Not interested in serving hot beverages at your Cinco de Mayo celebration? Try putting Ponche on ice for a perfectly-chilled summer drink.
11. Mexican Coffee
You want to keep your Cinco de Mayo celebrations festive all day long, meaning that you and your guests will likely want a caffeine boost at some point during the festivities. Complete your Cinco de Mayo celebration with Mexican coffee and make an adult version by incorporating some tequila and Kahlua into your cup.
12. The Carajillo
Another delicious coffee-based drink you can serve on ice is the Carajillo or the “coffee cocktail.” The Carajillo is easy to make, only requiring espresso and Licor 43 on top of some ice for a summertime energy boost. If you and your guests prefer to drink your coffee hot, the Carajillo is equally delectable when warm.
Fulfill Your Catering Needs With Kpacho
Looking to plan your Cinco de Mayo celebration or holiday events with some delicious Mexican food from your favorite restaurants? Kpacho has you covered. We meet all your catering needs to ensure that your Cinco de Mayo festivities meet your standards. Our tasty food is perfect for catering or take-out for your next holiday party and will surely wow your guests.
Contact us to hire our catering services today, or visit our restaurant to find more tasty bites by checking out Kpacho today.
