Cocktails in a Can for Margarita Day

All those National Days can feel a bit bonkers, pointless and contrived – National Squirrel Appreciation Day and International Teddy Bear Week, for example.

We are busy women, with kids who should count themselves lucky we remembered Pancake Day this year. But Margarita Day on Sunday 22 February is a celebration I can get on board with.

And those clever sausages over at Sierra tequila – you know the one, it’s that bottle with the little red sombrero perched on top – have really pulled out the stops this year by launching a new range of pre-mixed cocktails.

Frankly, in the middle of the wettest month in history, they feel like sunshine in a can.

Brands big and small are already jostling for shelf space in shop fridges but rejoice, because finally it’s time for us tequila lovers to get in on a piece of the instant gratification action. Available in two juicy flavours, strawberry and lime, get ready for these tempting little treats to become your go-to sip of the season.

Sierra is the first tequila brand to introduce ready-to-drink margs, and with their tangy blend of tequila blanco, lime juice and triple sec, this is a very good thing indeed. Look out for their vibrant cans which feature the iconic guitar-playing Jimador, Pancho, relaxing in the sunset in front of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

At the glitzy launch of these expertly mixed new drinks at swish Mexican restaurant Ixchel in Chelsea last week, Master Distiller Graciela González, who was visiting the UK from the distillery in Guadalajara, Mexico provided a properly fascinating guided tasting of three Sierra expressions, the award-winning Blanco, Reposado and Tropical Chilli.

As Graciela shared her insight into the craft behind each expression and the story behind the distillery, not only was she hilarious and super glamorous, but her story of how she worked her way up to become a fierce girl boss in a very macho world was awe inspiring to say the least.

She also took the time to stress the importance of slowly sipping tequila to enjoy the different smoky notes and flavours.

Those of us who have only ever knocked back shots at the very end of a long night, then sucked on a wedge of lime and blamed “the tequila!” for feeling so damn rough the morning after) had an awful lot to learn.

Nadia Cohen

As mum to a pair of cheeky twin boys, Felix and Harry, Nadia is mostly very tired. And sometimes she’s grumpy and very tired, but that doesn’t stop her attempting to have a life beyond sterilising and pureeing, even if that means she has been spotted strolling through the Grazia office with a Cheerio stuck to her bottom, or accessorising her fabulous Vivienne Westwood vintage with a smear of dried porridge.
She loves lounging about in the sunshine with a cocktail (those were the days) and hates smug yummy mummy types offering their unwanted opinions on her sons’ snacks, schooling and snot.