National Tequila Day: Gorgeous Cocktails by Whiskey Blue and Living Room (Recipes)

It's National Tequila Day and there are two ways to celebrate:

1. Drink a lot of tequila straight from the bottle, then Tweet semi-naked pictures of yourself before passing out somewhere (bad idea).

-or-

2. Enjoy a well-made classic tequila cocktail that has been hand-crafted for your enjoyment (good idea).

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To celebrate tequila day, Living Room and Whiskey Blue at W Fort Lauderdale's head bartender Ray Ramos has curated some fantastic cocktails that are meant for sipping, not guzzling. Proving once again that tequila, in moderation, is a very good thing, indeed.

Enjoy a cocktail tonight either at one of the W's fine bars ($14), or make them at home with these recipes. And leave your iPhone off -- just in case.

Paloma

1 1/2 oz. Casamigos Blanco Paloma tequila

1/2 oz. Aperol

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

1 oz. grapefruit juice

Add ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice, shake and strain over fresh ice into a highball. Top with champagne and garnish with grapefruit slice.

Lavender Margarita

2 1/2 oz. silver tequila

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1/2 oz. creme de violette

1/4 oz. fresh lime juice

1/4 oz. simple syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime.

Jalapeno Margarita

3 pcs. fresh jalapeno (no seeds)

1 1/2 oz. Excellia Blanco tequila

1/2 oz. Cointreau

1/2 oz. simple syrup

1 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice.

Muddle jalapeno in a shaker, then add ingredients and ice. Shake, then strain into rocks glass with ice. Garnish with jalapeno slice.

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