Cinco de Mayo (May 5) is here, and per usual, many bars and those in the United States use this day to celebrate Mexican heritage, cuisine, and, of course, agave-based spirits. For this year’s roundup, SPIRIT.ED is hoghloghing the cocktails for the Mexican holiday, including a booze-free option.
I’ll keep it level with you, SPIRIT.ED readers. I almost didn’t make this roundup for various reasons. Chief among them is the fact that Americans should really learn the real history of Cinco de Mayo and realize it’s something that’s not even widely celebrated in Mexico. Further, I’ve been to Cinco de Mayo gatherings in the States over the years, replete with all kinds of stereotypes against Mexican people.
Here is what I wrote about the history of Cinco de Mayo last year:
Since the 1800s, the day has somewhat focused on celebrating the connection between Mexican and American culture. In some cities, parties, musical performances, parades, and food will be a centerpiece. A fair point of criticism of the day is people not of Mexican descent putting on outfits connected to the country’s culture yet enforcing offensive stereotypes. Beyond Puebla, the holiday isn’t widely celebrated in Mexico.
The true root of Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of the Mexican military against French invaders at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza led his troops against the relatively advanced military might of the French soldiers, giving them a boost in morale. Military leaders in the United States came to the aid of Mexico, causing the French to vacate their occupation in 1867.
However, our Mexican brothers and sisters do like a good drink, and you can go out and enjoy one without wearing a dollar store sombrero or donning a mustache, so that’s what I’m concentrating on. Because I’ve been having some long weekends due to the gig, I’m going to take it easy, hence why I also included a mocktail in this roundup for those of us looking to still celebrate but without the buzz.
The roundup is centered strictly on agave-based cocktails. I am aware that there are Cinco de Mayo-inspired drinks featuring other spirits, but I wanted to keep things as close to traditional as possible. While there are margaritas in the mix, we’ve got some other agave spirit-based drinks listed to.
Enjoy this latest Cinco de Mayo roundup, and enjoy your drinks sensibly.
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Photo: Brent Hofacker / 500px / Getty