Tequila Soleil

By Rebekah Peppler

Published Aug. 19, 2020

Tequila Soleil
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(648)
Comments
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Think of the Tequila Soleil as a Negroni (with tequila) meets a spritz (with beer) meets that wonderful feeling of relief only an ice cold drink on a hot summer afternoon can bring. The vermouth — use blanc if you have it, sweet red if you don’t — tempers the drink, but the key to a perfectly balanced Tequila Soleil lies in how you build it. Namely, you’ll want to add the ice last. This small switch in technique has a big impact, keeping the beer from deflating on impact and thus retaining a bubbly, refreshing vibe for much longer.

Featured in: Beer Truly Is the Champagne of Cocktails

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Ingredients

Yield:1 drink
  • ½ounce reposado tequila
  • ½ounce red bitter liqueur, such as Campari, Cappelletti or Contratto Bitter
  • ½ounce blanc or sweet red vermouth
  • 4 to 6ounces I.P.A. (preferably a session I.P.A.), chilled
  • Ice
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a Collins or wine glass, add the tequila, the liqueur and vermouth. Pour the beer over top to taste. (Start with 4 ounces for a stronger, more bitter drink, and add as needed, up to 6 ounces total, for a milder, hoppier drink.) Add ice, to taste, and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
648 user ratings
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Comments

Ryan Botkin

Was looking forward to this one on a 105-degree day here in Texas, and I happened to have all the ingredients the same day it popped up as a suggestion. It's a great-looking drink but probably an acquired taste. I suggest getting your IPA really cold first and add plenty of ice; I also added some fresh lemon to brighten it up.

Jordan Drum

Also on a 105-degree day in Texas, I had the opposite reaction--I thought it was delicious. But then, I'm a fan of all things Campari, and it certainly comes through here, even through the IPA. Will try the lemon suggestion on my second...

Allen in Berkeley

Delish! I made it with campari and an amber ale b/c that’s what I had in the fridge. Didn’t mind the amber flavor. Perfect aperitif on a record heat day in the Bay Area.

Olga M

It is cold and wintry here in Chianti this dark evening and as I was catching up on my reading and NY Times recipes, I came across this one which looks perfect for a hot, summery aperitivo and I have saved it! I had to look up "I.P.A." and is it truly possible that it means "India Pale Ale"? I will not be able to find this particular ingredient here, so will a regular "ale" suffice? Grazie mille.

Stephanie R

This recipe is very fiddly and maybe not worth the trouble. However the end result was quite good. Give yourself a lot of time to make it.

jennifer

it was fresh but i didn't love it. To be fair I don't love tequila, campari or vermouth - why i expected some sort of chemistry magic show to yield a drink that i would love is pretty crazy.

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