How2Day: Patron Drink Ideas

The margarita is one popular drink you can make with Patron tequila. BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
Patron, a spirits manufacturer with production based in Jalisco, Mexico, specializes in high-end tequila made from the agave plant. When mixing a cocktail, you may choose from several kinds of Patron, each with a distinctive character. The top-of-the-line Gran Patron Burdeos is barrel-aged for 12 months, and the Gran Patron Platinum is the company's premier triple-aged silver tequila. For unusual mixology, you can try Patron's XO Cafe, with coffee flavor, or Patron Citronge Orange liqueur.

For a premium version of the classic margarita, combine 2 ounces of Gran Patron Platinum with 1 ounce of Patron Citronge. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and pour over ice in a highball glass. For a tasty touch, top the drink with a splash of Grand Marnier and garnish with a lime wedge or slice. Alternately, you may substitute Patron Silver for Gran Patron Platinum, though you may find the finish isn't quite as smooth.

The intensely sweet flavor of the mojito makes it an appropriate drink for Patron Silver; it would be unnecessary to use the high-end Gran Patron, as its smooth taste would be lost in the flavors of mint, lime and sugar. As recommended by the Patron website, the mojito uses 1 teaspoon of simple sugar syrup, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar and four lime wedges, all muddled together at the bottom of a glass. Then muddle together with 1/4 ounces of fresh mint leaves. Over this mixture, pour 2 ounces of Patron Silver and a dash of soda water, to taste.

The romantic interlude is a nightcap that uses two kinds of Patron tequilas. It uses 1 1/2 ounces of Patron reposado, which is aged just two months in oak barrels, giving it a touch of the aged flavor but maintaining the crispness of a silver tequila. Add to that 1/2 ounces of Patron XO Cafe for a trace of coffee flavor. Add 1/2 ounce of ginger liqueur and two dashes of angostura bitters for a complexly flavored final drink of the evening. Drink the cocktail over ice, stirred.

For a margarita with heightened agave flavor, try this intense margarita concoction, created by the Tres Agaves restaurant of San Francisco. It uses 1/2 ounce of agave nectar, which contributes extra sweetness and agave aroma, combined with 1/2 ounce of water to smooth the flavor. Add 2 ounces of Patron tequila. Should you substitute another tequila brand for the drink, be sure to use one derived from 100 percent agave. Finish with 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice.

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