National Tequila Day Tips from Don Julio Tequila

National Tequila Day is July 24th

and a favorite for many, but with this year’s celebration falling on a Friday, expect the festivities to be bigger than ever. To help stay spirited on this beloved day, and survive the morning after, below is a step-by-step guide provided by Don Julio Tequila (with additional tips from Tequila Aficionado in parenthesis).

1. As you count down the minutes until the end of the day, drinks lots of water to prepare for the evening activities ahead. (Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!)

2. Once it hits 5 o’clock, kick off the night with a round of Tequila Don Julio Reposado shots and Tabasco Sangrita chaser to cleanse the palate with each peppery sip. (We at Tequila Aficionado would never suggest a shot. Perhaps sip it instead? Sangrita is great – and we love it – but it’s no palate cleanser. We use black coffee or unflavored vodka – just swish & spit, nobody really likes vodka anyway.)

3. Balance the tequila with Mexican favorites – tacos, taquitos or quesadillas. (We’ve proven that tequila can be paired with any food that’s good. How about a steak or roast duck. Yeah, you can do that.)

4. Take a quick pic to document the evening, just in case it’s fuzzy later. (Be sure to tag @tequilaaficion on Twitter & Vine.)

5. Cure your tequila hangover with tequila in a Bloody Maria. (But you’re an Aficionado. You don’t drink tequila to get drunk – and you pre-hydrated!)

Spicy Sangrita

Created by Presley’s Pantry

Ingredients
5 ounces vegetable juice
1 cup clamato
3 limes, juiced
1 lime, sliced into wedges
1/3 cup tangerine juice
7 dashes Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco Spicy Salt
Tequila Don Julio Reposado

Preparation
In a pitcher, combine vegetable juice, clamato, lime juice, tangerine juice, Tabasco Sauce; stir to combine. Place in refrigerator. In a shallow bowl, add Tabasco Salt. Rub a lime wedge along the rim of a shot glass and dip into salt. Fill glass with sangrita and pair with a shot of tequila.

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Bloody Maria

Ingredients
3 ounces Tequila Don Julio Reposado

3/4 teaspoon Tabasco Original Red Sauce

1/3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Celery salt

Ground black better

2 teaspoons ground horseradish

4 teaspoons fresh lime juice

16 ounces tomato juice

Celery for garnish

Preparation

Rim two highball glasses with lemon juice and dip into black pepper. Add Don Julio Reposado, Tabasco, Worcester sauce, celery salt, tomato juice and ground horseradish; stir with bar spoon. Garnish with thin strips of celery.

Makes 2 drinks.