Looking ahead: For Cinco de Mayo, you could go the typical off-the-liquor-store margarita route. Or you could give the celebration finesse with this elegant cocktail.
We’re a month out from Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday commemorating an improbable victory at the 1862 Battle of Puebla and an American celebration of all things tequila and tacos. However you care to look at it, there is no need to get tipsy — or sloshed — with pre-fab liquor mixes or well batches. Instead, consider adding finesse to the day with this elegant cocktail from the multilevel restaurant and bar Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, housed in Austin, Texas’ Seaholm Power Plant, the city’s original power generator built in 1951.
Salud to history! Salud to the Tequila Rose!

Tequila Rose
Courtesy Jason Stevens, Boiler Nine Bar + Grill director of beverage and bars
Salt
1½ ounces blanco tequila
1¼ ounces strawberry-rosé syrup
(recipe follows)
½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Cubed ice
Lime wheel, for garnish
Salt half the rim of an old-fashioned glass and set aside
Combine blanco tequila, strawberry-rosé syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice. Shake for 15 seconds. Pour into salted rim glass.
Garnish with a lime wheel and enjoy!
Strawberry-Rosé Syrup
6 ounces dry rosé
¼ cup freeze-dried strawberry powder
¼ cup sugar
10 drops absinthe or oastis (optional)
Combine and stir all ingredients together until fully mixed.
For more information on the Boiler Nine Bar + Grill, visit the restaurant’s website.
Keep coming back for more recipes in the run up to Cinco de Mayo.