11-07-2025
Have you tried the tequini? It's the cocktail of the summer
By this point in the great British martini resurgence you will have your order down to a T. You'll be a firmly established member of Team Dirty or Team Twist (or the rare member of Team Both … yes they exist). You'll have a preference for the vermouth, and know if you like the trend for garnishing with drops of extra virgin olive oil, and you will, of course, have tried the trend of downsized martinis called 'tiny-tinis'.
Well, this just in from the front row of London's martini theatre: introducing the tequini. Made with tequila (if you hadn't guessed from the ridiculous nickname), it's for people who feel they have tried every formula of martini and either still can't find the one they like, or want something a little more exciting.
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'A martini is all about pure ingredients,' says Amy Curtis, the head bartender at Experimental Cocktail Club in London. 'Making it a tequila-based version of the dry martini is a clean way to drink the spirit and enjoy it.'
Curtis says the best tequila to use is most 100 per cent blue agave versions. 'At Experimental we use Ocho Blanco. Make sure it's good-quality tequila, especially when you're drinking it clean in a martini.'
• The cocktail set to dethrone Aperol as spritz of the summer
I tried my first tequini at Henri, Jackson Boxer's restaurant in Covent Garden, where it's called the Eugene and made with olive leaf-infused dry vermouth, Muyu vetiver and Ocho tequila in an ice-cold Nick & Nora glass; no garnish. And now I can't help but notice them everywhere. At the River Cafe's Cafe, next door to the restaurant in Hammersmith, there's a tequini made with Tapatio tequila that is gently infused with the River Cafe's signature Le Ferre olive oil. Down in Padstow at CiCi's, Paul Ainsworth's bar, they have a smoky martini made with sherry and rosemary infused tequila. They are also a popular off-menu request at Claridge's, where the iconic New York bar and brunch spot Dante is popping up for the summer. If you ask the co-owner of Dante, Linden Pride, he'll whip up his signature cocktail using Casa Dragones tequila, Sipsmith lemon drizzle gin, Lo-Fi sweet vermouth, Cocchi Americano and crème de cacao. Lethal.
Nine Lives, a bar in Bermondsey, is taking it up a notch by launching its own version of a tequini next month. It uses oyster shell tequila, and for extra drama is poured tableside with a choice of Mexican spices.
• Cocktails in a tin — the ones the critic loves
Makes 1
• 50ml white tequila• 20ml dry vermouth• Dash of orange bitters• Lemon peel or olive, to garnish
1. Combine the tequila, vermouth and bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and stir.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel or an olive.
