The Stevie Ray Cocktail

Stevie Ray

I made this excellent drink in honor of the great American Blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughn.  They are both hard and smooth at the same time!

I made this wonderful drink for my TV show about 12years ago and used it in my first book “The Sonoran Grill” We make these for dinner parties and they are always a big hit, but there seems to be an issue… they affect your wrist.  I notice that every time they get close to my mouth my wrist seems to turn further than I wanted and the whole drink magically disappears down my throat.  So just to make sure I try another and viola gone again.  In short these are way too easy to drink.

2 OZ Silver Tequila

1/2 OZ Blue Curacao

1/2 OZ Mandarin Napoleon or Grand Mariner

Juice of 1 Key lime

Give your car keys to someone else. Shake all ingredients with ice, strain and serve in a martini glass. Repeat as needed!

Bloody Mary Bites

Bloody Mary Bites

This recipe is a special snack only for the adults. It’s quick and easy, but it needs to sit all day—so prepare ahead!

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Vodka or Pepper vodka, to cover

Kosher or coarse salt for dipping

Peel the tomatoes by, removing the stem, cutting a small x across the bottom of the tomato, dipping them in boiling water for 10 seconds and then plunging them into ice water. The skins will come off easily. Place the peeled tomatoes in a large glass bowl. Cover with vodka and refrigerate all day. Serve with a small dish of kosher salt for dipping. Save the leftover vodka for your Bloody Marys—it tastes delicious!

Makes 6-8 Servings

Tequila Ahh!! Tequila is good !

You'll find some of my favorite tequila recipes below. They are all amazing and will give your kitchen and bar a definite WOW factor!

Tequila Grilling Sauce

Enough for 4 6-8 OZ Mahi Mahi filets

3 TBL White Tequila

3 TBL Pineapple juice

2 TBL Chopped cilantro

2 TBL Fresh lime juice

2 TBL Olive oil

2 CLOVES Garlic, minced

1 Habanero, minced

2 TSP Kosher salt

1/2 TSP Dark brown sugar

PINCH Fresh black pepper

1. Whisk Tequila Sauce together. Drizzle over Mahi Mahi while grilling.

Jose Cuervo, La Reserva Tequila habanero-lime butter

This condiment is out of this world on vegetables and potatoes, and you won’t believe the flavor it gives grilled fish or pork. And on good bread WOW!

Whip all ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Roll into a log in waxed paper and chill until firm .

1⁄2 cup sweet butter

1 habanero chile , minced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Jose Cuervo, La Reserva de la Familia, tequila

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon dark brown sugar

Pinch of fresh black pepper

Tequila Shrimp

My friends Ryan And Claire live in Houston. They often take a drive down to Corpus Christie and play in the surf with their baby boy, Layne. They sent me a T-shirt that says “The White Trash Rivera” along with this delicious recipe. It takes about 15 minutes to make. I think it tastes even better with a cold Margarita while I’m wearing that Shirt.

1 Tbl. olive oil

2 Tbl. Sweet butter

1 white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

20 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined

1/3 cup tequila reposado

3 Plum tomatoes, diced

2 Serrano chiles, chopped fine

Juice of 2 key limes

3 Tbl. chopped cilantro

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter, in a medium sauté pan. When the onions are soft and translucent, but not browned, add the shrimp and continue to sauté for 2 minutes on each side, until bright pink. Then add the tequila and flame the alcohol. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the limejuice, Serrano, cilantro and avocado. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with white rice

Serves 4

Cervezarita Negra

1 OZ Tequila blanco

1 OZ Grand Marnier

Juice of 1 Key lime

12 OZ Negra Model beer

1. Pour beer into a frosted mug. Mix liquor and lime juice together, gently pour over beer.

2. Stand back!

La Reserva Cocktail

Juice of 1 Key lime

Jose Quervo La Reserva Tequila

Dash of Mandarin Napoleon

1. Rim martini glass with lime and fill with ice. Gently fill glass with La Reserva, top with remaining lime juice and a dash of Mandarin Napoleon.

West Texas Tequila Slammer

West Texas Tequila Slammer

Around my house we keep the Tequila in the freezer, the bottom 1/3 of the bottle, frozen in a block of ice. The tequila comes out of the bottle thick and viscous. It’s so much sweeter than out of a hot cupboard. I learned this trick while I was a guest of the Cuervo Company in Mexico. If you are going to make West Texas Slammers it’s best to use tequila that is as cold as you can get it… and give someone your car keys.

1 ½ oz. Jose Cuervo Traditional tequila, ice cold

a dash of Tabasco Habanero sauce

a Splash of soda

Pour the tequila and Tabasco in a small bar glass. Pour in a little club soda. Put one hand over the top of the glass and then slam it down on the bar. Then slam it down your throat while its still fizzing. So the order is slam the slammer, then slam the slammer. A process, which, by the way, when repeated, has landed many a Texan in the local slammer.

Bandera Mexicana the authentic way to drink Tequila!

The other day I was sitting on the patio of The Cave Creek Coffee Company, as I do most mornings, drinking my coffee. I was chatting with a few old friends, and as the weather was starting to turn hot, we were discussing tequila. I reminded them that in Mexico Margaritas are for touristas. Mexicans drink either Tequila con Sangrita or Bandera Mexicana (The Mexican Flag). Tequila is served in a block of ice wrapped in a towel. The Tequila is thick and sweet and really gives off a true Agave flavor. This authentic drink is great for those hot lazy days when you want to eat light and sit around the pool taking it easy. Once you’ve tried this you’ll say goodbye to Margaritas forever!

Bandera Mexicana

Mexican Flag

Forget the Margaritas. This is the way to drink tequila.

1 shot tequila reposado

1 shot sangrita, recipe below

1 shot key lime juice (or one part lime juice and one part Squirt Grapefruit Soda)

Serve in three separate little, baby brandy snifters. Sip a little, talk a little, smile a little. Ahhh . . . Mexico.

Serves 1

Sangrita Mexicana

Because this drink is so popular in Mexico, there are many different recipes. I put this one together by talking to several different bartenders in Guadalajara over a four-day visit. Sure, I got a headache, but that's just me, working hard for you!

Sangrita:

1 1/2 cups tomato juice

1/2 cup clamato juice (very popular in Mexico)

3/4 cup orange juice

Juice of 4 key limes

2 teaspoons grenadine

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Dash A-1 steak sauce (yes, A-1; they love the stuff)

Dash Tabasco

Premium quality tequila reposado

16 key lime wedges

Stir together all sangrita ingredients. You will need two 3-inch tall brandy snifters per serving. Fill one half full of sangrita and the other half full of tequila (about 1 shot in each) and top each with a wedge of lime. Sip a little tequila, sip a little sangrita, and now and then, take a little bite of the lime wedge. Oh, and one more thing, slow down a little: Life is good.

Serves 6 to 8