A Guadalajara Cocktail in a Martini glass on a bookcase with a Lego VW van behind it.

The Guadalajara Cocktail

The Guadalajara Cocktail is a fairly Tequila forward cocktail with added bitterness from Fernet. It's not too bitter though! The cocktail is nicely balanced by sweetening it with Agave Syrup and even a tiny bit of spice from Mole Bitters.

While the Fernet is a slightly unusual ingredient for a Tequila based cocktail, the rest is relatively standard. After all, Mole Bitters and Agave are not out of place at all with Tequila Flavours. Tequila, Mole Bitters, and Agave Syrup would make a pretty nice interpretation of an Old Fashioned if you want to play around with it actually, and cocktail creators have come pretty close to this with the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Of course the Guadalajara Cocktail is a quite a bit different thanks to the Fernet Branca, but you can see where the base of it is.

So if you want a bit of different spin on tasty Tequila based cocktail, perhaps the Guadalajara Cocktail is a good one to try.

Total Time 3

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

60 mL Tequila Reposado
15 mL Fernet Fernet Branca is preferred, but any brand will do.
15 mL Agave Syrup
2 dashes Mole Bitters
Garnish with twist of Grapefruit

Instructions

Add Tequila, Fernet, Agave Syrup, and Mole Bitters to a mixing glass with plenty of ice in it.
Stir until everything is chilled and mixed together well.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish and enjoy your cocktail.

Notes

As you can see, the Guadalajara Cocktail is actually a pretty simple one, just four ingredients. Of course there are more simple cocktails out there, but this one is pretty easy. As with so many relatively simple mixtures like this, it just goes to show that you don't need a lot of complexity or lots of ingredients to make a tasty drink. That being said, some of the ingredients in this cocktail recipe aren't the most common for household bars, especially the Fernet and the Mole Bitters. Unfortunately there's not really much to replace these ingredients with, but it is a good opportunity to expand your bar somewhat!

Here’s Some More Info About the Guadalajara Cocktail

As mentioned, this is a great cocktail recipe for lovers of Tequila who want to try something a little bit different. The cocktail has some of the standard flavours you’re used to in a Tequila based cocktail but also a little bit more in the form of bitterness to keep things interesting. It’s far from your standard Tequila cocktail, but should be a lot of fun if you want to experiment with something different.

If you’re not a fan of more bitter drinks, we encourage you to try the Guadalajara Cocktail as written. From there you can dial back the Fernet a little bit to make it more suitable to your tastes. Of course don’t dial it back too much, otherwise you’re basically just making a Tequila Old Fashioned. That sounds great but it’s a different cocktail.

Will the Guadalajara Cocktail work as a bigger batch?

Yes. it would. Whether you want to make a few servings of this cocktail in a mixing glass or make a large batch in a jug, it’s easy enough to up the proportions of everything to make enough for a larger group. If you’re making a large amount in a jug, keep in mind that the cocktail is served neat (i.e. without ice), but some amount of dilution is expected. You may want to make the large batch with ice, then transfer it into a jug without ice to store in the fridge between serving it.

Will the Guadalajara Cocktail keep until later?

It will, just put it in the fridge and it should keep pretty well. As mentioned, don’t store it with ice though. You want a little bit of dilution from the initial stirring, but after that, you don’t want to allow the ice to melt all the way into the drink.

When should you try a Guadalajara Cocktail?

Thanks to the Fernet, the Guadalajara Cocktail is pushing into digestif territory. This doesn’t mean you can only have this cocktail after dinner. You can have it any time you want! We just think the bitterness creates a nice after eating style cocktail.

Beyond simply after eating, we always think the Tequila is a good spirit for hot and dry weather, so we’d also reserve this cocktail for mid-Summer enjoyment.

But at the end of the day, you do you. Especially if you’re a big Tequila drinker, there will be times that you like your Tequila the best. So look for those times.

How strong is the Guadalajara Cocktail?

The Guadalajara Cocktail is a little bit stronger than average. Unlike a lot of cocktail modifiers, Fernet weighs in at about 40-45% ABV, which is similar to a lot of the base spirits you use when making cocktails. So, averaging everything out, you’re basically making a cocktail with the equivalent of 75 mL base spirt. Is this a lot? It is and it isn’t really. Yes, this cocktail has enough alcohol in it that you’ll likely be feeling it after only a couple, but it’s only a little bit more alcohol than you’d be getting with a lot of other recipes. The Guadalajara Cocktail is above average in strength.

What music goes best with the Guadalajara Cocktail?

As you likely know, Guadalajara is located in Mexico. It’s in about central Mexico towards the west. Mexico has a varied musical tradition that has lots of styles to it. We’re not going to suggest any specific kind of Mexican music to go with this cocktail (there are just so many out there!), but we’re going to say enjoy this cocktail with your preferred style of Mexican music.

We’ve said with many of our other Tequila based cocktails that have a Mexican vibe to them that you should include them in a menu of whatever Mexican fiesta you’re having, and this cocktail is no different. So go ahead and put this cocktail next to the likes of the Margarita or even the Pepino. You’ll have a great time.