Celebrate Cinco de Mayo by matching with a professional chef or beer & wine expert on the SKILLR App. This year we’re partying in style with some homemade mixed drinks. These popular mixed drinks are the perfect teaser for a Cinco de Mayo soiree or for relaxing at home after work.

Here’s what we’ll dive into:

The history of Cinco de Mayo
How you can make the perfect meal or cocktails with SKILLR Food & Beverage Experts
Cocktail recipes to try
Supplies you’ll need

History lesson: Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture. Today, the holiday is beloved and celebrated by many far beyond the country’s borders. Mexico City-based Skillr Patricia Alvarez gave us some insight into celebrations within Mexico, noting that while the holiday isn’t as big in her city, it’s celebrated with a month-long festival in Puebla. “I usually don’t celebrate this date, but this year I am and I consider myself very lucky because a few members of my family live in Puebla,” Patricia said. “I’m going to spend the weekend with my cousins there. We usually have a barbecue with family and friends. We sometimes hire mariachis, we eat tacos and have all kinds of drinks but mostly margaritas and beer.”

There’s a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s independence day but that’s false. Check out this video for a quick history lesson on the origins of Cinco de Mayo:

Make the perfect meal or cocktails with Food & Beverage Experts on SKILLR

Get your party food and drinks ready with the help of professional chefs and beer & wine experts. On the SKILLR App, you can instantly match with pros to get recipe help, cooking lessons or tips and tricks on how to perfect your margarita-making skills. Download the app and get started today. Match with one of these Skillrs while getting your cocktails or food prepped.

Chef Mariela Bolaños

Chef Mariela Bolaños has more than 14 years of experience in the industry. She enjoys creating new ways to incorporate global flavors into comfort food menu items. This is her inspiration for creating an innovative menu that mixes different flavors and cooking techniques from all over the world. She was featured in Eater Chicago’s “24 Women Chefs Who Reign Over the City of Chicago'' list. You can find her cooking up delicious dishes at Easy Peazy, where she is the Chef and Owner. Chef Mariela holds an Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts from the Illinois Institute of Arts Chicago. Find her on SKILLR @marielabolanos. Follow Mariela’s mouthwatering Instagram @marielabolanos.

Mark Maurer

Mark Maurer is a Wine & Beer Expert on the SKILLR App. He is a WSET diploma student, wine investment consultant, restaurant owner and lover of everything food and drink related. Find him on SKILLR @thegrapeescape or on Instagram @maurer_mark.

Mary Altomare

Mary Altomare is a Certified Primal Health Coach. She helps people struggling with health issues to overcome challenges and improve their overall health through a personalized coaching approach. Find her on the SKILLR App @maryhealthcoaching or on Instagram @maryhealthcoaching.

Make ceviche with Mariela Bolaños

Chef Mariela Bolaños is known for having the best ceviche in her area! She’s sharing her recipe with us and is here to help you make it on the SKILLR App.

Shrimp Ceviche Recipe

½ a red onion, finely diced

1 pound fresh or frozen medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined with no tail and thawed. Mariela prefers to use white shrimp for this recipe. Dice the shrimp into ¼-½ inch cubes.

2–3 garlic cloves very finely minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1-2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼–½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chili pepper seeded and very finely chopped. Start conservatively, more to taste.

1 cup roma tomatoes, small diced

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

In a large glass bowl, combine the diced shrimp, lime juice, salt and red onion. The juice should completely cover the shrimp; if not, add a little more. Cover with plastic film and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours. The shrimp should be pink from curing in the acid, if not, give it a stir and leave it to cook a little longer.
Remove bowl from fridge and add in chilis, tomatoes, cilantro, black pepper and olive oil, stir gently and taste. If you feel it needs more salt, add more! If not, your ceviche is ready to serve. This can be made a couple of hours in advance and stored in the fridge. Serve with tortilla chips to scoop up the ceviche and enjoy with a glass of cold beer or a margarita!

Make Skinny Margaritas with Health Coach Mary Altomare

Health Coach Mary Altomare shared her healthy margarita recipe. “I love this skinny margarita because it tastes like a regular margarita without all the calories, sugar, preservatives and other artificial ingredients,” Mary said. “It’s keto-friendly with about 3g of net carbs, low in glycemic load and only takes 5 minutes to make. It’s light, refreshing and healthier than a regular margarita because it’s naturally flavored and has no added sugar. You can enjoy it on the rocks or frozen!”

Skinny Margarita Ingredients

2 fl oz silver tequila (use quality tequila)
1/2 tsp orange extract
1 1/2 fl oz lime juice (freshly squeezed)
2 tsp powdered sweetener
1/2 cup ice cubes
1 lime wedge (for garnish)
1 tbsp salt (for salted rim)

Skinny Margarita Instructions

Place salt on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a glass. Dip the rim into salt to coat. Place ice cubes into the salted glass.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a separate glass. Stir it very well.
Pour the margarita over the ice and garnish with lime wedge.

Frozen Margarita

Combine all ingredients (except sea salt and lime wedge) in a blender and blend until slushy. Add more ice if needed.
Use a cocktail shaker if you have it. Use crushed ice for this method. Add all ingredients (except salt and lime wedge) into a shaker. Close and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Add another 1/2 cup of crushed ice into the salted glass. Open and strain margarita into the ice-filled salted glass, and serve immediately.

Here are a few extra tips from Mary: “Use freshly squeezed lime juice and high quality tequila for the best flavor and a smoother margarita. Choose sweetener that is made with stevia or monk fruit for the healthiest choice. They are better for your gut and brain health.”

Easy mixed drinks to try on May 5

Serve up some easy alcoholic drinks using some of the best cocktail recipes on the interwebs.

Classic Paloma

Margarita please, but make it pink! This classic cocktail is as cute as it is easy to make. According to Justin Sullivan at Delish, “It's endlessly drinkable and the perfect addition to a spicy dish or a day at the beach.” Do it up in a more traditional style by opting for Squirt for your soda base. You can also use grapefruit soda if that floats your boat. To make your Paloma, you’ll need 2 oz. of tequila, half of a lime (plus a wheel for garnish), grapefruit soda and kosher salt.

GRANDMArgarita

Skillr Mark Maurer shared a favorite marg recipe with us! Mark first tried this margarita in Japan and has been recreating it for years now. Here’s what you’ll need: a high quality reposado (Mark says, “If you want to go crazy, use barrel aged mezcal.”), Grand Marnier, orange bitters, orange-lime juice and yuzu-powdered sugar rim.

Tequila Sunrise Mimosa

Let this drink transport you to a beach in Cancun, at least for a few minutes. When it comes to the Tequila Sunrise Mimosa, we like Geoffrey Zakarian’s recipe on the Food Network site. It’s an easy drink to make and only takes about five minutes to whip up (which means less time in the kitchen and more time pretending to soak up the sun on the beach). Here’s what you’ll need: 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 3/4 cup orange juice, 3/4 ounce grenadine syrup, orange slice (for garnish) and a maraschino cherry (for garnish).

Color Changing Margarita

What’s cooler than an ice cold margarita? An ice cold margarita that changes colors. If you’re looking to challenge your mixology skills, use this recipe from Fox and Briar. Prep time is two and a half hours so make sure to get the necessary ingredients together the night before if you’ll be throwing a Cinco de Mayo get-together. This recipe calls for 2 oz butterfly pea flower infused tequila (see recipe at Fox and Briar), 1 oz lime juice, .75 oz triple sec and .5 oz simple syrup (if you want a sweeter drink).

Mexican Martini

The Mexican Martini originated in Austin, Texas. It’s essentially a large margarita served up in a martini glass with a couple olives to boot. This NYT Cooking recipe will have you lit in no time. You’ll need 2 ounces reposado tequila, 1 ounce Cointreau, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, ¾ ounce fresh orange juice, ½ ounce olive brine and 2 olives.

Cantarito

The Cantarito is a delicious Mexican cocktail that’s popular in Jalisco, Mexico. Keep in line with tradition by pouring it into a jarrito de barro (clay cup). We love this recipe (and the insightful history shared about it) on Cooking with Janica. To make it, you’ll want to grab lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, tequila and chili seasoning (for garnish).

Classic Chelada

Beer babes will love this Classic Chelada recipe from A Couple Cooks. It features a mix of Mexican beer and fresh citrus juice. You can top it off with a salt rim for style and presentation! Get into it with these ingredients: Mexican lager beer, lime juice, fine sea salt and Old Bay or tajin (for the rim).

Michelada

The Michelada is a classic cocktail and will make a great addition to your Cinco de Mayo cocktail menu. This recipe from Serious Eats can get you started. Don’t forget to throw in a pinch of salt. Connect with a Skillr to ensure you’ve used the perfect amount of lime juice as its key to getting this drink right. Here’s what you’ll need: Tajín or other chili-salt blend, kosher or sea salt, 2 ounces fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons (10ml) hot sauce, 1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce and 1 can or bottle of light Mexican beer.

El Diablo

El Diablo takes only three minutes to make and it’s a refreshing and classic drink for lovers of ginger beer. Try this recipe from The Spruce Eats to add a little spice to your cocktail lineup. You’ll need 1 1/2 ounces reposado tequila, 1/2 ounce crème de cassis, 1/2 ounce juice from a lime, 4 ounces ginger beer and 1 lime wedge or cheek.

Supplies you’ll need to make an easy cocktail recipe

The supplies you’ll need for each of the above classic cocktails will vary (so be sure to check them out before heading to the store), but here are some common items you may wanna grab ahead of your at-home bartending gig:

Fresh lemon juice
Orange juice
Salt
Crushed ice
Dark rum
Club soda
Cranberry juice
Ginger ale
White rum
Orange liqueur
Cocktail glass
Simple syrup

Get your cocktail shaker out and get to mixing! Don’t hesitate to call a Beer & Wine Expert for a little assistance in the kitchen during your Cinco de Mayo party prep time.

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Mixed Drink Recipes to Make for Cinco De Mayo