Rum and tequila have different flavor profiles, making them a good pair. The sweet, gentle, edgy rum complements the fiery tequila like no other alcohol can.
You’d probably think that the flavor has nothing to do with how tequila and rum mix turns out and only worry about the burn, but I am here to tell you that you would be wrong.
While rum is more on the sweet side but still with a very noticeable burn and bite, tequila has nothing mellow about it. It stings and bites but is still fresh, fruity, and flavorful.
So, Can You Mix Rum and Tequila?
Mix rum and tequila; they make some of the best cocktails imaginable. They both sting but complement each other excellently.
The rum gives the tequila a bit of a rounder edge while it transpires with its vibrancy and liveliness. The only thing to watch out for is to choose good quality rum and tequila, so avoid artificially flavored rums and tequila mixes.
Go with natural-flavored rum and tequila, and ensure you’re using 100% agave tequila.
Mixing drinks is a great skill; whether you are good at it determines the quality of your drinking experience and your functioning the next day. Although mixing rum and tequila isn’t exactly rocket science, you still need some knowledge to make it work.
In this article, I will explain what to mix with tequila and rum and how to mix them so that you make the most of both.
What Alcohol Can I Mix With Tequila?
Tequila is the queen of mixers. It’s so versatile that you can mix it with everything from beer to something more complex and exotic.
Tequila and vodka make a great pair and go together in many cocktails. They’re both strong but in different ways. While vodka is aggressive with a merciless bite, tequila is more playful and vibrant. Put these two together, and you get the sheer definition of a good time.
Of course, drinking only tequila and vodka mixed in the same glass is a recipe for disaster, but if you slap a fruity drink, some tiny fruit pieces, and seltzer water, for example, you get a bubbly delight.
Tequila also mixes excellently with beer, as I already mentioned.
Pop a shot of tequila in your beer mug and enjoy the bitter-sweet, tequila-spiked drink. You will be amazed at how well these two go together: harsh and mellow, bitter and fruity, slightly sour, and just a bit on the sweet side.
Gin is yet another excellent tequila companion.
They make a great pair, especially with orange-flavored liqueurs and fruity juices. Cranberry juice, tequila, and gin make a hell of a cocktail, but you could say the same for blueberry juice, seltzer, gin, and tequila. You can go simple or wild mixing these beverage categories and still get a fantastic result.
If you’re thinking about mixing tequila and whiskey, think again.
This is a combination I don’t recommend as, more often than not, it will upset your stomach, making your recovery hard. It isn’t a flavor issue as it’s chemical composition inadequacy, so it is best that you steer clear of this combo.
Wine and tequila pair well, but make the cocktail 50% wine and tequila (cumulatively) and 50% non-alcoholic, as they amplify each other’s negatives when digested.
Tequila also goes great with brandy, making excellent cocktails, especially with orange-flavored liqueurs and citrus flavors.
Lastly, tequila and rum taste amazing together. They seem to bring out the best in each other, making significant and vibrant cocktails.
What Alcohol Can I Mix With Rum?
Rum is an excellent mixer, edgy and exciting with just enough sweetness; it is an excellent drink with neat but vibrant cocktail ingredients. In addition to mixing excellent with non-alcoholic ingredients, rum mixes famously with other alcohols too.
Rum and beer go great together, especially if mixed with citrus-flavored ingredients. Remember to keep the rum amount lower than the beer amount and equal to the rest of the ingredients (cumulatively).
A rum and beer cocktail doesn’t tolerate too much rum as it can quickly overtake the flavor and diminish the rest of the included tastes.
Although it is possible, mixing rum and vodka is not a layman’s job, and you shouldn’t tamper with this combination if you aren’t experienced in alcohol mixing.
Moreover, ensure your bartender knows what they are doing, as this combination can have disastrous consequences. The rum and vodka combo can quickly induce vomiting and an extremely brutal hangover.
This may surprise you, but rum and gin work great together, especially when mixed with sweet drinks like fruit juices.
Rum and brandy mix spectacularly well together and make excellent cocktails. They go particularly well with liqueurs and a fruit piece to release their natural juices while drinking. Avoid citrus notes when mixing brandy and gin, and add more grape, apple, berry juice, or liqueur.
What Is Rum And Tequila?
Rum and tequila are entirely different drinks. While rum is traditionally made from sugar cane, tequila comes from agave. To be tequila, it needs to be at least 51% agave.
Even though they seemingly have nothing in common, tequila and rum are very complementary drinks making excellent cocktails when they work together.
They provide a wide variety of cocktails; you can mix them and add other ingredients to make things even more interesting.
Tequila Sunrise is a very famous cocktail containing rum and tequila. You probably know what I am talking about, as tequila sunrise is a must in the cocktail curriculum. This cocktail has several variations, the rum variation being among them.
Bananarita is a Mexican-made cocktail and a variation of the famous margarita drink. It is fruity, highly fragrant, and further enriched with a banana wheel, where the name comes from.
In addition to the regular margarita ingredients, the bananarita also contains white rum.
Sounding worse than it is, the Four Horsemen cocktail is far from an apocalypse. Made with Jagermeister, rum, tequila, and peppermint liqueur, it’s a potent drink that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Still, the name is much more intimidating than the drink, so relax and enjoy the ride.
In addition to the tequila sunrise cocktail, there is a tequila sunset mixer, a darker variant of the original drink. Unlike the sunrise variant, which is made with white rum, it contains dark rum, which is pretty much the most significant difference between the two.
As a result, the tequila sunset has a deeper and more complex flavor.
Long Island Iced Tea is one of the meanest cocktails, mainly because it can easily trick you into thinking it’s just a delicious iced tea. Combining several alcohols, rum, and tequila, it’s very strong and sweet, a deadly combination for a beginner and an overly enthusiastic drinker.
Made with rum, tequila, and citrus-flavored juices, the Conquistador fits the name. This cocktail seems to have no haters, as it is delightfully sharp and refreshing.
Not so vital to get you drunk after the second round and not so weak to let you fool around with it, this cocktail is the perfect gentleman for the right lady or the perfect lady for the real gentleman.
The cocktails above are just a drop in the ocean of rum and tequila cocktails. You can go as simple as rum, tequila, and lime juice, or go with something more complex as adding more pizzaz to your drink.
Which Is Stronger, Rum Or Tequila?
Although there is a consensus that rum is the weaker of the two, this mainly depends on the spirit brand. The USA-accepted alcohol percentage is 40%, so rum and tequila would be equally strong by this logic.
Moreover, they’re both spirits and bound to have similarities. Nevertheless, some tequilas and rums exceed the 40% limit, so you need to judge which is stronger based on the particular bottles.
Can You Mix Rum And Tequila In A Margarita?
The delightful margarita cocktail has a rum variation, and it’s delightful.
You can pull this off with both white and dark rum, each releasing its magic into the pitcher. You can mix them or add one or the other and still get a delicious drink.
Moreover, a rum margarita is a thing. A cocktail is the official rum margarita variety, and it is called bananarita because it uses banana wheels as garnish.
