Happy Cinco de Mayo! Is it safe to say Cinco de Mayo is America’s favorite underdog holiday to celebrate, even though 95% of people celebrating it don’t know the significance of the holiday? Now granted, there is a case to be made that July 4th is technically the ultimate underdog’s holiday, being that it marks the formal declaration of independence from the British Empire, but what sounds better? Hot dogs, hot weather and fireworks, or tequila, Mexican beer and tacos at the height of spring? Cinco de Mayo wins on all fronts, and that’s not just the bias of my Mexican heritage talking.

So to celebrate the country’s best — and tastiest — underdog holiday, we’re shouting out the 10 absolute best additive-free tequilas your money can buy this Cinco de Mayo. This list features a mix of blancos, high proof expressions, reposados, and añejos, so hopefully we have a little bit of something for every kind of tequila drinker. Unless of course you like cristalinos, but let’s face it, nobody likes cristalinos (we’re kidding, we love them).

Here are all the tequilas you should sip this Cinco de Mayo and beyond.

9. Alto Canto — High Proof Blanco

ABV: 48% (96 Proof)
Price: $89.99

The Tequila:

High proof, yet surprisingly tame and inviting, Alto Canto has quickly become my go-to bottle on days I want a little more heat than your typical 80-proof tequila, but is not so hot that it’s easy to misjudge how much you’re drinking.

This addtive-free blanco offers a silky smooth experience and is made from stone oven cooked agave that is tahona extracted and mixed with natural spring water at NOM 1636, Tequila El Rocio.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: Creamy and a bit lactic with notes of rich cocoa and raw agave.

Palate: Surprisingly soft with a grassy green agave forward quality. As those initial flavors pass the palate, I’m getting some asparagus and green pepper with a tart green apple skin that hovers gently on the backend.

Finish: Buttery with a kiss of roasted agave that produces a gentle heat on the aftertaste.

The Bottom Line:

Buttery, a bit spicy, and very agave forward with a gently hot finish.

Read more: https://uproxx.com/life/best-tequila-for-cinco-de-mayo-2025/