Ah, yes, the 5th of May. Widely remembered for an occasion to eat tons of Mexican food (cheap and filling, you can imagine the number of such restaurants and how busy they get when you’re in a college town!), drink Corona and Dos Equis and, of course, margaritas. Margaritas whose defining ingredient is tequila.

(It also has something to do with the Mexicans defeating the invading French in 1862, but you don’t hear much about that, really. Though it’s amusing to note that a local French restaurant is hosting their own Cinco de Mayo celebration… irony or no?)

As much as I love cocktails (including the margarita–on the rocks with salt, please) I’m not much for drinking hard liqueur straight. On our recent (January, 09) cruise to various places in Mexico, we stopped in at the Tequileria shop in Costa Maya which offers free tastings. I really figured this shop would be lost on me and that it was time to head to the next jewelry store, instead, until some pretty, frosted bottles with pastel liquids inside caught my eye.

Hello, Tequipal. This blend of blue agave tequila, cream and fruit is really very nice served chilled in cordial glasses. I tasted the strawberry and coconut in the shop and liked it enough to purchase the sampler box of 4 small bottles (200 mL each of mango, coconut, strawberry and coffee) for $40 US. Unfortunately it seems like US availability is tough to find, but if you  happen to find yourself in Costa Maya or a similar Mexican port, be on the lookout for this lovely take on a national staple.