Dulce de Tequila Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 02/5/23
Dulce de Leche Cocktail
Jeff Kauck / Photolibrary / Getty Images
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

A sweet drink, dulce de tequila literally means "tequila candy." While it is unusual for tequila and cognac to make an appearance in the same cocktail, the drink is not as cloying as the name might suggest.

The dulce de tequila recipe creates a tasty dessert cocktail. It comes from Tequila Tezón and marries the brand's reposado tequila with Martell cognac. The sweetness comes in two forms, the popular orange-flavored liqueur Cointreau and rich agave nectar. Add a hint of lime and a perfectly balanced drink is ready to enjoy.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Rim a cocktail glass with sugar. Wipe a lime or lemon wedge around the rim, then roll it in a shallow dish with granulated or superfine sugar.

  3. In a cocktail shaker, pour the tequila, cognac, triple sec, lime juice, and agave nectar. Fill with ice.

  4. Shake well.

  5. Strain into the prepared glass.

  6. Garnish with a lime or lemon wedge. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Freshly squeezed lime juice is highly recommended. Many bottled juices include a sweetener and that will make the dulce de tequila too sweet. Since a lime typically yields 1 ounce of juice, you should be fine squeezing half a lime directly into the shaker.
  • Superfine sugar has finer granules than regular white sugar and is often preferred for rimming because of its more delicate texture. There's no need to hunt it down at the store, though. With the help of a food processor, you can quickly make superfine sugar at home.
  • This recipe originally suggested only a lemon wedge as the garnish. That's unusual since lime is used in the recipe. If you want to get the most out of a single fruit, cut a lime in half, using one piece for the juice and the other to create a wedge for the garnish.

Recipe Variations

  • If you are going to substitute any of the suggested liquors for another brand, be sure to choose spirits of equal quality. This cocktail has an amazing taste, but downgrading even one element will quickly take it from great to OK.
  • Not everyone is a fan of sugar rims. It completes this cocktail's experience, though. One trick to find the middle ground is to rim just half the glass. This allows you to sip from the sugary side or the unadorned side as you wish.

How Strong Is a Dulce de Tequila?

Cointreau may be a liqueur but it's just as strong as the tequila and brandy. That means this cocktail is made with three 80-proof liquors, so it's going to be very potent. Its alcohol content is a whopping 29 percent ABV (58 proof), making it as strong as liquor-only martinis. While it tastes sweet, it will pack a big punch.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
373 Calories
0g Fat
33g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 373
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 27mg 135%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 89mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)