Do you love crafting unique DIY boozy cocktails at home? Do you experiment with different liquor types? Well, you must be asking yourself if there are any faux pas. Perhaps the biggest question is can you mix vodka and tequila?

Either liquor can be pretty strong and easy for its presence to be sensed in a drink. However, each comes with its unique benefits. Now, the question is how do the two behave together? This guide takes a deep dive to help answer your question of whether or not vodka and tequila do well mixed.

Can You Mix Vodka & Tequila?

You can certainly mix vodka and tequila. Tequila and vodkas are among the hard liquor options that blend pretty well together. After all, no recorded evidence drinking the two together will get you more intoxicated than drinking them separately.

Additionally, there aren’t any health risks related to mixing tequila and vodka. Vodka and tequila are both hard liquors. So, it’s natural for them to have a high alcohol proof. This doesn’t mean that mixing them together alters their chemical properties.

 It’s just the drink will have a higher alcohol proof than a single liquor drink. This means that drinking the vodka and tequila mixture can get your drunk faster as you consume a higher alcohol content. But, mixing the two liquors doesn’t in no way alter the intoxication process.

For example, drinking the same amount of the two spirits when mixed or drinking them in succession will get you the same amount of alcohol level in the blood. The only difference is how fast you get drunk.

Due to their contrasting flavors, these spirits blend exceptionally well. People often opt to add fresh fruit juice or other sweet non-alcoholic mixers to the two combined liquors. This helps to improve the taste while curbing the intense, burning sensation of the booze they contain.

Also check: What To Mix With Tequila?

Typically, tequila develops a smooth, sweet, and fruity taste. If you go for the aged option rather than tequila Blanco, the oak casks it rests in help to further add a toasty and complex flavor to the spirit. 

As a general rule of thumb, Tequila that uses agave from the highlands of Jalisco tends to be sweeter, fruity, and floral with some minerality.

On the other hand, tequila from the lowlands of Jalisco has a more herbaceous and earthy flavor. Vodka is a complete contrast to tequila. It typically lacks a characteristic flavor, remaining neutral and smooth. In fact, this explains why it makes an excellent base for many mixed drinks.

Depending on the brand and type, vodka may sometimes develop somewhat spicy to faint sweet undertones. Mixing the nearly flavorless spirit with more flavorful tequila can work on your side pretty well.  The key is to choose the right kind of tequila and vodka.

If you wish to mix vodka and tequila, you are advised to go for premium and good quality, top-shelf options. Cheaper, low quality varieties may have that overwhelming boozy aftertaste that can easily ruin the entire mixed drink.

Poor quality vodka causes an immensely overpowering aftertaste while bad quality tequila will lack its subtle citrus and sugary notes.

on the other hand, the best quality tequila and vodka will effortlessly complement one another. The mixture will balance the two spirits together, letting you enjoy their body and flavor notes.

Imagine the clean vodka blending with herbaceous tequila or vodka with creamy undertones blending well with floral tequila notes.

Also check: 15 Best Alcohol for Shots: Must Try!

What Is Called When You Mix Vodka And Tequila?

There’s really no special name for a mixture of vodka and tequila. After all, this mixture comes in a vast range of forms, each given its own name.  You can mix vodka and tequila to make anything from shooters to different types of cocktails.

Mixing the two hard liquors can easily increase your alcohol blood level faster than drinking them individually. But, this highly depends on the type of mixture.

For example, drinking a vodka-tequila shooter will get you drunk faster than a vodka-tequila cocktail diluted with a non-alcoholic mixture or ice.

In addition to the slow drinking (sipping), the cocktail will have more diluted alcohol content than the concentrated shooter.

Another great way to control the high alcohol content in a tequila-vodka cocktail is by consuming high-protein and high-fat foods to reduce the absorption of alcohol. This can be anything from BBQ to eggs.

Shooters

You don’t always have to enjoy vodka or tequila shots individually. You can always liven up your shots by mixing the two. A popular vodka-tequila shooter is the vodka tequila slammer, a variation of the popular tequila slammer. Like the original drink, the vodka tequila slammer involves mixing tequila, vodka, and ginger ale.

Alternatively, you can opt for a modern variety, replacing the soda with champagne. This recipe is a sure way to enjoy the two hard liquors in a not-so-traditional shooter. While the flavors and boozy makeup of the hard liquors invoke a smooth blend of their flavor notes, the soda or champagne adds to its character.

The ginger ale or champagne causes an effervescent reaction in the mouth when you take the shot for a fun refreshing feel. It’s also a pretty great way to mask the alcohol aftertaste from the tequila and vodka. But, to get the most from this mix, you most certainly want to use good quality tequila and vodka.

Mixed Drinks and Cocktails

Another popular way to enjoy a mix of tequila and vodka is through mixed drinks and cocktails. Now, if you opt to take this direction, you can choose a variety of mixing options based on what you use. In the case of mixed drinks, you can mix one spirit with a flavored version of the other.

The use of flavored tequila or vodka also helps to reduce the overall alcohol content. This is because mixed drinks usually have significantly lower proof.

For example, unflavored vodka can contain up to 80 US proof (40% ABV) while flavored can contain between 60 and 70 US proof (30% to 40% ABV).

Mixed drinks containing vodka or tequila, such as the Jose Cuervo Tequila Hard Seltzer contain even lower alcohol content, at only 9 US proof (4.5% ABV). For example, you can mix tequila Blanco (which offers a mellower taste than its aged varieties such as Reposado) with flavored vodka.

Think of an option such as Espolon Blanco (best for cocktails as a base) and raspberry or cranberry vodka for an instantly refreshing berry-forward drink. Flavored vodka does a great job of highlighting its additives and other flavor enhancers.

But, this is not all it does. It also does a good job of bringing out the sweet notes of tequila – especially if you use top-shelf, premium-quality tequila.  Alternatively, you can opt for the Jose Cuervo Mango Tequila Hard Seltzer and add it with neutral vodka for a more boozy kick.

Tip: Use a cocktail shaker packed with some ice to ensure the spirits blend well while the slightly melted ice helps to tone down the alcohol.

There’s a vast range of cocktails that call for the use of both tequila and vodka. In fact, some of the few approved but the International Bartenders’ Association (IBA) include the Long Island Ice Tea. Long Island Ice Tea is made using up to five different hard spirits, including vodka and tequila.

Another similar International Bartenders’ Association-recognized example is the Harlem Mugger which equally contains up to five alcoholic spirits. But, the two cocktails have pretty distinctive flavor profiles and bodies. So, they are certainly worth trying individually!

What Alcohol Can I Mix With Tequila?

There are several alcoholic drinks you can mix with tequila. These include vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, brandy, and white wine. These alcoholic drinks serve as a base for a wide range of classic cocktails and are usually easier to experiment with for other drink combinations.  

Generally, clear alcoholic drinks such as the ones mentioned above are usually easier to work with, especially in multi-liquor combinations. According to some experts, darker liquor, such as red wine, and even some brandy, whiskey, and rum can be a little complicated.

This is because these aged drinks tend to have more congeners which can easily cause stomach irritation when mixed together. Again, you want to use the best quality tequila and spirits to get the best of your drink combination.

Here’s an example of what you will get from a mixture of tequila and other alcohols;

• Multi-alcohol combination: You can mix tequila with vodka, light rum, triple sec, and gin with other non-alcoholic components to make a long island ice tea cocktail.
• Whiskey: Mixing tequila and whiskey, particularly bourbon produces pretty delicious drinks. One of our favorites is the Man of Leisure cocktail. You can try this cocktail at home by making it yourself and the recipe is pretty simple. Add whisky, tequila Blanco, freshly squeezed lime juice, and simple syrup, in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain the cocktail into a snifter, top with ginger beer, and angostura bitters, and garnish with a fresh lime wedge.
• Rum: Rum, light rum, in particular, works exceptionally well mixed with tequila. It gives that tropical essence without overpowering other components in the mixture, particularly tequila. Light rum makes for excellent alcohol to mix with tequila as it does an excellent job of highlighting it in a drink. The best mixed drink to create with these two spirit combinations is a tropical punch cocktail. Simply mix tequila, coconut light rum, pineapple juice, a splash of lemon juice, and a dash of seltzer in a larger bowl filled with ice for an instant party favorite.
• Gin: Dry gin is always the way to go when choosing the right gin to mix with tequila. It’s versatile and makes it easy to bring out the flavors f all the mixed drink’s components. Dry gin is also effective at preventing flavor interference in mixed drinks. Like rum, the gin also makes a great tropical punch. Our favorite recipe involves mixing gin, tequila, ripple sec (particularly Cointreau), pineapple juice, and lime. This creates a deliciously zesty and fruity drink to enjoy on any summer afternoon.

Is It Okay To Switch Between Tequila And Vodka?

You can definitely switch between tequila and vodka. After all, there aren’t any strict guidelines that limit you from drinking various alcoholic beverages in one sitting. So, you can always enjoy tequila and vodka in a single sitting.

What Cocktails Use Both?

You can use tequila and vodka in a wide range of cocktails, whether IBA-approved or craft cocktails. Most popular IBA-approved cocktails that use tequila and vodka include the Long Island Ice Tea and Harlem Mugger.

How To Mix Them To Make Cocktail

When making cocktails containing tequila and vodka, you should use a cocktail shaker to ensure they blend well. Using a cocktail shaker blends the two spirits and other components (if any) better so you can best enjoy the flavors. Here are two common vodka-tequila-containing cocktails;

• Long Island Ice Tea: Combine tequila, vodka, white rum, Cointreau, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail. Shake and drain the cocktail into a highball glass filled with ice and top with a splash of cola.
• Harlem mugger: Combine vodka, tequila, gin, white rum, and champagne in a cocktail shaker. Drain into a glass filled with ice and garnished with lime and top with a splash of cranberry juice.

Conclusion

Ultimately, if you are asking yourself if can you mix vodka and tequila, the answer is always yes. The key is to know how to combine the two for the best results. First, you want to ensure you go for good quality spirits to maintain the highest quality flavor profile.

Further, you want to know how to blend the two – you don’t want to blend high quality aged tequila with highly flavored vodka and have the flavors saturated by this combination.