This one time, in my early 20s, I mixed beer and tequila to come up with an attractive new drink that I assumed everyone would be swooning over. The following day, we experienced the most intense, worst hangover ever. I puked at least 5 times.
Needless to say, I learned my lesson to not mix soft and hard alcohol in the future. Ever since that ‘incident,’ I’ve always been wary about mixing alcohol. I do quick research on Google before mixing up anything.
So, can you mix tequila and vodka? Bear in mind that both drinks independently have a generous serving of alcohol. Would it be safe to combine these two?
Let’s find out!
Table Of Content
Can You Mix Tequila And Vodka?
Yes, you can safely mix tequila and vodka to make a brand new cocktail. As a matter of fact, mixing tequila and vodka is a common practice. There’s even a liquor brand called Vodquila that’s made with six-time-distilled vodka and tequila made with pure blue agave plants.
However, since both drinks have high alcohol content, you must channel moderation when drinking a vodka and tequila mix.
Both tequila and vodka have a standard alcohol concentration of at least 40% ABV. Matter of fact, that’s quite a lot. For example, most beers clock in at just 4-5% ABV.
Vodquila: Premium Vodka-Tequila Mix
Birmingham-based businessman Chander Arora had this unique idea of mixing two of his favorite liquors – and thus, Vodquila was born.
The drink is made with vodka made from multiple grains and distilled six times, and tequila made with pure blue agave plants.
Vodquila is described to have a super clean taste and a rich aromatic profile that’s achieved by blending selected vodka and tequila bases in small vats, macerated together at high temperatures.
According to a review shared by Drink Hacker, the nose is lemony and heavy on agave, with an undercut of sugar. The drink finishes with light spice loaded with sweetness, like a slice of cinnamon toast.
Apparently, this drink is a lot tastier and more popular than expected. The drink took home the silver medal in 2014’s International Wine And Spirit Competition.
Tequila And Vodka Cocktail Recipe
Preparation Time: 3 minutes
Serving: 1
A fruity martini recipe brings together the best of both worlds. This cocktail recipe is straightforward, needing just 3 ingredients. Here’s a look at what you need:
- 1 ½ ounces tequila
- 1 ½ ounces orange vodka
- 1 ½ ounces orange juice
- Sliced orange for garnish
Instructions:
First, gather all the ingredients. Then, pour the tequila, orange juice, and orange vodka into a cocktail shaker. Add crushed ice. Let it sit for 5 seconds.
Next, shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Finally, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange slice.
If you could get your hands on freshly squeezed orange juice, it would produce a better-tasting cocktail. If you don’t like orange vodka, you can use any citrusy vodka instead.
Tequila And Vodka Difference
Although both are distilled spirits, tequila and vodka are pretty different from each other. Tequila is made with blue agave plants, whereas vodka is made from starch or sugar-rich plants. Likewise, tequila is distilled into 5 different types, but vodka has only one form.
Vodka is cheaper than tequila. So naturally, it’s consumed more in the US than tequila.
Tequila comes from the Weber blue agave plant, also known as agave tequilana, a big succulent with long, spiked leaves that are quite similar to aloe vera.
The core of the blue agave plant contains a bulb called the pina. The bulb is baked and juiced. Next, the juice is fermented with yeast in barrels to make tequila.
As of now, only 5 Mexican states can produce tequila legally: Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán, Guanajuato, and Tamaulipas.
On the other hand, vodka is a neutral spirit that involves fermentation, distillation, dilution, and filtration. You first have to create a mash that’s left to ferment until ethanol (alcohol) has formed.
Next, the raw spirit is distilled to filter out unwanted elements influencing the product’s flavor, texture, and overall characteristics.
Vodka brands distill their vodka several times to create high-quality vodka. For example, French vodka Ciroc is distilled 5 times.
Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker; Liquor Before Beer, You’re In The Clear – How True Is This?
Beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear – this question/riddle is often confidently answered by fellow drinkers who draw from their own experiences. But is it really true?
Turns out it’s not mixing that matters – apparently, it’s the order that matters.
Kevin Strang, Ph.D., reports that when you drink something with low alcohol content (like beer), the body becomes used to getting drunk at a certain rate.
So, when you switch to a drink with higher alcohol content, your body still assumes it’s getting drunk at first drink’s rate. As a result, you will drink much faster. And naturally, you’ll get sicker.
For example, if you begin with beer, get buzzed, and later switch to hard alcohol, you will naturally drink more than your body could handle without even noticing it.
On the other hand, if you take a few tequila shots and get drunk before switching to beer, you’d probably be better off than you’d have been if you just stuck to hard alcohol all the time.
Is Mixing Alcohol Harmful?
So far, no research has shown that mixing alcohol is inherently more dangerous than just sticking to one type. There’s no conclusive evidence to support or reject the claims about the harmful effects of mixing different kinds of alcohol.
Having said that, drinking mixed drinks and shots means you will be consuming more alcohol at a faster rate – and therefore, you may become intoxicated a lot quicker.
Whatever your drinking itinerary, you can always minimize the risk of being ill or hungover the following day. For instance, having some food in your system will absorb some of the alcohol, so it doesn’t directly travel into the bloodstream.
This will also help protect your stomach from excess irritation.
Also, alternating alcoholic drinks with juice or water will keep you hydrated and help spread out the total amount of alcohol you drink.
What Alcohol Can I Mix With Tequila?
You can mix tequila with agave syrup, vermouth, bloody mary mix, vodka, rum, wine, gin, and whiskey.
What Alcohol Can I Mix With Vodka?
You can mix vodka with tequila, brandy, rum, whisky, wine, gin, and beer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tequila Or Vodka Get You More Drunk?
It’s a common misconception that tequila makes you drunk faster than vodka. Both drinks have an alcohol content of around 40% ABV. What largely determines how sick or drunk you may feel is the rate at which the alcohol is being consumed in a specific time frame.
Can You Mix Whiskey And Vodka?
Yes, you can mix whiskey and vodka. But bear in mind that both these drinks have high alcohol content. So, whatever cocktail you make will have a high level of ABV. Make sure you drink in moderation.
Can You Mix Whiskey And Tequila?
Yes, you can mix whiskey and tequila. But both drinks have high alcohol content. Therefore, the cocktail mix you create will also have a higher ABV. Make sure you don’t drink too much.
Which Alcohol Gets You Drunk Faster?
Highly concentrated beverages like vodka and gin apparently get you drunk faster. Actually, the faster you drink, the more likely you will get drunk.
Does Mixing Alcohol Make You More Sick?
There’s no evidence yet that mixing alcohol is worse than sticking to just one type of alcohol. However, we tend to drink more and faster when we combine different kinds of alcohol. So, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a bad hangover.
Is It Okay To Mix Light And Dark Liquor?
Several types of research have shown that mixing light alcoholic drinks like beer and vermouth with dark liquor like whiskey and rum can cause the tummy to become very irritated.
Light alcohol has fewer congeners than dark alcohol. Congeners refer to micro compounds other than ethanol that directly occur in alcoholic drinks due to distilling and fermenting processes.
Final Words: Can You Mix Tequila And Vodka?
Yes, you can mix tequila and vodka. However, both drinks have a high alcohol percentage – clocking in at around 40% ABV. Therefore, whatever cocktail you make will also have high alcohol content.
Therefore, make sure you don’t drink one too many.
The tequila and vodka cocktail recipe I shared above is one of my absolute favorites. Let us know if you try it!
