Five O'Clock Somewhere: 3 Must-Try Extra Anejo Cocktails

Whoever decided happy hour could only start after 5 o’clock was foolish. We like to think that happy hour begins whenever you decide it’s time to end your workday and kick back with a beverage in hand. Reflecting on the wise words of Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.”

Now, we don’t promote drinking on the job (unless, of course, this is allowed at your company, in which case cheers to you), but when happy hour eventually rolls around, we have a few Extra Añejo cocktail recipes you might want to try. Forget the post-college salt, lime, shot routine because we’re all adults now–let’s move up to the smooth, aged, fine tequila worthy of sipping on.

Tequila 101

If you’re itching to learn more about tequila in general, check out the history of tequila before diving into a drink. But if you’re wanting to get right to it, let’s review the types of tequila at your disposal. You may be wondering why we’re focusing on Extra Añejo for these recipes so we’ll get to that, too.  

• Joven or Gold - A mixture of Blanco and Reposado or a mixto. Joven means “young” in Spanish.
• Blanco - Sometimes called silver or white, this is a tequila that’s been aged for less than two months and is best for those trusty margaritas and palomas.
• Reposado - It means “rested” in Spanish and is aged up to 1 year. Think of this as a catch-all tequila that you can use in any cocktail.
• Añejo - Aged at least 1 year, Añejo is a taste of adulthood. Great for sipping and cocktails.
• Extra Añejo - Heavily aged for at least 3 years, this tequila is perfect for sipping at room temperature. Enjoy it straight up to appreciate the maturity, but there’s also no harm in using it to add some sophistication to your cocktails.

This is just scratching the surface of what makes different tequilas unique. You’ll also likely find yourself wondering about the differences between tequila and mezcal, but we’ll save that for another day.

For these recipes, you can use Añejo or Extra Añejo. If using Extra Añejo in a cocktail makes you gasp, then go ahead and use Añejo. If you live on the wild side, give Extra Añejo a shot because it’s bold and adds a creative twist to your happy hour beverage whether you sip it or mix it with one of these 3 must-try Extra Añejo cocktail recipes.

1. Extra Añejo Manhattan

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 2 ounces Extra Añejo tequila
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1/4 ounce Licor 43 (A citrus-and-vanilla-flavored Spanish liqueur)
• Dash of Angostura bitters
• Dash of orange bitters
• 1 fresh or maraschino cherry

Fill two-thirds of a pint glass with ice. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the cherry. Stir briskly for 30 seconds to chill. Strain into a chilled martini glass; garnish with the cherry.

2. Thai Basil Grapefruit Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Thai basil leaves
• 1/2 fresh squeezed lime
• 1 1/2 ounces Extra Añejo tequila
• 1/2 ounce Green Chartreuse
• San Pellegrino Pompelmo (grapefruit) 

In a cocktail shaker, muddle Thai basil leaves and fresh squeezed lime.

Add tequila and Green Chartreuse with ice and shake. Fill a rocks glass with ice and strain ingredients from the cocktail shaker into the rocks glass.

Top with San Pellegrino Grapefruit and garnish with lime wheel and sprig of Thai basil.

3. Extra Añejo Mash

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2  oz. Extra Añejo tequila
• ½ oz. Grand Marnier
• ¾ oz. agave syrup
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves
• 4 lemon wedges
• Garnish: fresh mint sprig

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, strain into a rocks glass packed with crushed ice, and garnish.

Feeling inspired and thirsty for happy hour? Check out our selection at any of our Haskell’s locations or buy them online and schedule in-store pickup or at-home drop off anytime. When the work’n day gets hard, remember, it’s Five O’Clock somewhere!

Founded in 1934, Haskell’s has championed fine wines for over 80 years. We have 13 wine stores in Minnesota, two delis and one restaurant. As one of the top wine shops in North America, Haskell’s is known for legendary service and one of the finest collections of wine, beer and spirits. Led by Chairman and CEO Jack Farrell and the Farrell family, Haskell’s continues to be at the forefront of the wine scene throughout the world. Haskell’s also can ship wine, beer & spirits all throughout the world, the U.S. and we deliver locally.