Mangos are one strange-tasting fruit, but when you have a craving for one, nothing else can come close to filling the void. Almost custardy, with an abundance of tropical funk, mangos are synonymous with Southeast Asian cuisines (mango is the national fruit of India and the Phillipines), hot weather and refreshingly cooling non-alcoholic drinks like the Mango Lassi. In cocktails, however, mangos are extremely underrated. Unbeknownst to most, the fruit’s grassy creaminess is the perfect foil to the terroir-driven flavors of rhum agricole in a Daiquiri, and it makes a mean Margarita (especially when paired with smoky mezcal). Try these five mango cocktails and never sleep on the beloved tropical fruit in boozy mixed drinks again.
Just like its name implies, this no-frills Margarita doesn’t require a blender to concoct. Pre-made and frozen in sandwich baggies, this variation on the south-of-the-border classic is boozy, low-maintenance, and mango-riffic. It’s the perfect accompaniment for backyard barbecues, pool parties or a day at the beach.
The Essentials
Tequila
Mango Juice
lime juice
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Made with Polish bison grass vodka—a creamy, funky-tasting spirit infused with Eastern European prairie grass that tastes similar to rhum agricole—and mango syrup, this cocktail is the perfect hot weather sipper. Teaming up with a fellow underrated cocktail ingredient (blackberry), the mango syrup is lightly infused with mint for even more pungent flavor.
The Essentials
Mango
blackberries
Bison Grass Vodka
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From Rob McShea of Miss B’s Coconut Club in San Diego, this monster punch bowl is decadently boozy and healthy(ish). Made with mango-guava-flavored kombucha—a probiotic, nutrient-rich, effervescent tea—grapefruit beer, three different types of rum, and a bounty of tropical juices, the Lusca is destined to be a crowd favorite at any shindig.
The Essentials
Kombucha
Grapefruit Beer
Mixed Rums
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Served at Maharlika, a Filipino food hot spot in Manhattan, this pitcher-sized Sangria is loaded with tropical juices, including lychee, mango and pineapple. If you’re batching this up for company, make sure to spoon a ladle-full for yourself; with enough dark rum to make any party festive, this tiki-fied Sangria won’t make it to midnight.
The Essentials
Red WIne
Lychee Juice
Rum
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Made with a tropical, mango-flavored IPA from Baltimore, Maryland, this crushable variation on the Michelada from Brooklyn bartender Andy Imsdahl is spicy, fruity and the perfect refresher for balmy summer days. Concocted with a homemade serrano grapefruit shrub recipe, the high-proof shandy will have you falling in love with the dangerously good combo of mango and moonshine.
The Essentials
Moonshine
Serrano & Grapefruit Shrub
Nu-Tropic IPA
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