A Cajun Piñata

This sweet and refreshing Tequila cocktail will have you relaxed and feeling ‘quite festive’ in no time at all. Shake them by the glass, or mix a pitcher and refrigerate so it’s available for the pour, you know…when it becomes necessary!

New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinct music, Creole cuisine, unique dialect, and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras.

Why A Cajun Piñata? Well, I came up with the name YEARS AGO after a lightening flash trip to New Orleans. I was only present for a weekend, but was so transformed by its French and Spanish Creole architecture and vibrant nightlife along Bourbon Street.

Combining ‘Cajun Creole’ with anything other than bourbon or rum just seems fitting if you’ve ever visited La Nouvelle-Orléans and tasted something SURPRISING. NOLA’s got positively EVERYTHING going on. The colors at night are nothing short of spectacular, and the party…well, it seemingly never ends.

And, in addition to a HUGE SHOUT OUT to my followers down in the Big Easy, I wanted to pay homage to the atmosphere and vibrancy of this must-visit City by introducing my “take” on a cold Tequila punch that’ll have you getting warmish in a real big hurry, A Cajun Piñata.

What Is The New Orleans Signature Drink?

Well, not A Cajun Piñata, but if you ask me, it’s not far behind! One of the oldest signature drinks in New Orleans is the Vieux Carre which came onto the scene in 1938. The drink is made with made with equal parts of whiskey, Cognac, and sweet vermouth plus bitters and a twist of lemon. So, missing tequila, but equally as powerful of an alcohol beverage.

It’s likely no big surprise that I am truly fond of unique cocktails, notably any kind of punch. I guess it’s because this is the one ‘thing’ my mother and I can agree on as far as our taste buds go. We both enjoy fruity drinks. Dare I go so far as to say ‘fruity drinks that sneak up on a gal!’

I think this ‘thing’ with us started right here in Charleston when my parents first moved down. I hadn’t even considered a move in this direction at that point. I’d been visiting and Mom and Dad took me downtown to dinner out at a super fun place that doesn’t even exist today. It was there that after we both ordered the same cocktail, our server suggested we get a pitcher. Our fondness for pitchers of punch sort of took off from there.

While not an authentic Cajun cocktail, this tequila and agave cocktail shakes up a party if there ever was…

After all of the cookies have been baked and the neighborhood food gifts delivered, and the eve that is Christmas approaches, mom’s and dad’s are sacked. This little tincture helps to take that edge off, just a wee little bit…

A trip to St. Augustine, Florida last Christmas had me intensely remembering New Orleans. I guess it was the sheer magnitude of people...and the masses of inebriated Santa’s…all over the city.

And with its lively character, Spanish architecture, and over-the-top party atmosphere, I was right back in La Nouvelle-Orléans in my mind. That, and a spectacular bartender we had at Prohibition Kitchen poured me one of THE BEST tequila cocktails I think I have ever tasted. It went down real easy, but had ‘lasting effects…’

The idea of throwing around a good quality silver tequila and Cointreau with a bunch of ‘non traditional’ cocktail juices basically stems from me LOVING grapefruit juice. I always have a bottle in the fridge, and prefer juicing fresh whenever I get the itch to concoct a super exotic beverage for myself.

If making an entire pitcher for the chiller, I just go with a chilled bottle of juice. The good stuff though. You can find it by the orange juice, NOT in the juice isle. Cranberry cuts it, Cointreau livens it, and agave sweetens it.

Founded in 1718 by French colonists, New Orleans was once the territorial capital of French Louisiana before being traded to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. New Orleans in 1840 was the third-most populous city in the United States, and it was the largest city in the American South from the Antebellum era until after World War II.

What Is The Best Tequila To Buy?

Good tequila is almost always a tequila that is made from alcohol distilled from 100% blue agave. Specifically, the species Agave Weber Tequilana. Three common types of tequila are blanco, reposado, and anejo. They are differentiated by the amount of time they are aged. 

As with all of the recipes you will find here on Not Entirely Average, I will instruct you to buy the best you can both afford and also get your hands on. Read labels. Look for 100% blue agave. I handle access to the better quality tequilas by purchasing online and having it delivered.

This was surprisingly easy given my reservation about alcohol being delivered to my door, but an adult must sign for it, so that eliminates the worry. After a few shakes of these fantastically refreshing ingredients, I found myself rocking around our Christmas tree. Yes, me…

All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC