Something Tequila

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Cocktail History

The Something Tequila is a modern tiki cocktail that was created by John Bernard at his bar Porco Lounge & Tiki Room in Cleveland, Ohio. It was made as a cross between a Margarita and a Rum Barrel when customers asked for a drink that uses tequila instead of the classic rum base found in most tiki drinks. Bernard then paired the agave spirit with lots of fruit juice, a couple of syrups, and several garnishes.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Añejo Tequila: This is a type of tequila made in Mexico with blue agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged from one to three years in oak barrels. I used Camarena Añejo Tequila.

Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid juice of a pineapple. I used fresh pineapple juice.

Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. I used freshly squeezed orange juice.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Passion Fruit Syrup: This is a sweetener made with passion fruit juice, cane sugar, gum arabic powder, and benzoic acid. I used Liber & Co. Tropical Passion Fruit Syrup.

Lime Slice: This is a slice of lime that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Mint Sprig: This is an herb. I used Mojito mint.

Flower: This is an edible flower that can be used as a garnish.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices for the garnish. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. I used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer for the citrus and the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer for the pineapple.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Vibrant yellow color

• Aroma: Mint and sweet agave

• Taste: Mostly sweet pineapple and passion fruit flavor with strong tequila notes

• Finish: Tart citrus and more pineapple

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “On taste alone, this is a really good cocktail. It’s pretty hard to mess up one spirit paired with a crapload of fruit juice though, to be fair, and that’s why I’m only rating the recipe three stars. It is delicious, but it is nowhere near as complex as most tiki cocktails are. There’s no spice, no split base, no unique liqueurs…. which to me is what makes a really great tiki drink now that I’ve been doing cocktail tastings for a few years. If you want something simple and tropical, this is a good one, but if you’re on the hunt for tiki drinks that feature a tapestry of unique flavors, I’d pass on the Something Tequila.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2025-01-16.