Sunny Mexico drink recipe

The Sunny Mexico cocktail blends a sweet herbal liqueur with tequila for a delicious, complex taste. It’s a refreshing little cocktail with just a couple of ingredients.

This is such an easy cocktail to make. There’s no shaking involved – you just pour one ingredient, and then the other.

That makes it a very nice choice for parties where you don’t want to be taking five minutes out every time a guest needs a fresh drink. In fact, you can premix this one in a pitcher big batch style and just pour as you go.

What it Tastes Like

The dominant note here is anise, or black licorice, followed by vanilla and distant citrus notes. Then you pick up the clean, slightly earthy agave aroma from the tequila.

It’s a great contrast, because Galliano is sweet while tequila has a peppery taste.

When to Serve

This drink is perfect for savoring while you watch a live show. It’s also lovely as a before dinner drink because it’s a little bit sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Serve it before a dinner of grilled seafood, citrusy salads, or lightly spiced chicken.

It also makes a nice after-dinner drink with desserts that share vanilla or mild spice, like custards, crème brûlée or spiced doughnuts. At casual gatherings or tasting nights, it’s a good “conversation” drink because people can sip it rather than chug it, and it’s so easy to pour for a crowd.

For outdoor summer evenings, serve it chilled over a single large ice cube in a rocks glass to slow dilution.

Choosing your Tequila

Olmeca Altos Plata or Espolòn Blanco make great choices – they’re clean and bright, and they’ll balance the sweetness of the Galliano very well. They’re also affordable.

Food Pairings

Cocktails with an anise flavor are never that easy to pair with foods. However, there are a couple of ways to go with this one. Try a dish that also has anise as a flavoring, like Star Anise and Ginger Braised Chicken Recipe.

Or instead you could focus on that hint of vanilla in the drink. Try these Vanilla Bean and Buttermilk Baked Doughnuts, which are lighter than you think.

They’ll bring out the vanilla in the drink, and vanilla and anise make a wonderful combination.

I’ll be honest with you here. You do need to like Galliano in order to like this drink. I know Galliano really doesn’t go down well with some people, and if you’re one of those, there is no tequila in the world that’s gonna make the drink work for you.

But if you’re not a Galliano hater, give this one a try. And while you’re at it, you might also want to try the Arcadia Cocktail, or the Flying Kangaroo.