Toreador
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 21.2% ABV ∙
The Toreador is a tequila sour of blanco tequila, apricot liqueur and fresh lime — an Australian bar-room cousin of the Margarita. Tart lime meets warm blanco tequila and a soft apricot sweetness, finishing dry and clean — a bright, easygoing aperitif or pre-dinner sipper.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Tequila blanco 45 mlApricot brandy liqueur 20 mlLime juice 20 mlSugar syrup 5 mlSaline solution 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a lime wedge on the rim
Tips
- Fine-strain into a chilled coupe after shaking about 15 seconds — it keeps the drink clear and crisp.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice; bottled juice turns the balance flat and dulls the apricot.
- The small pour of syrup is there to balance the lime — taste before adding more so it stays tart.
History
The Toreador is a tequila sour that is largely unknown in the United States but treated as a standard classic in Australia, where most professional bartenders keep it in their working repertoire. Hayden Lambert, owner of the Melbourne bar Above Board, has described it as "classic but not extremely well-known." Its earliest known print appearance is in William J. Tarling's 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book in London — among that book's fifteen tequila recipes, printed sixteen years before the Margarita's name first appeared — though who created the drink, and where, is not documented.
FAQ
What is a Toreador cocktail?
The Toreador is a shaken tequila sour made with blanco tequila, apricot liqueur, and fresh lime juice, with a small measure of sugar syrup to balance. It is a classic in Australia but relatively obscure elsewhere, and is often likened to a fruitier Margarita.
What is in a Toreador?
A Toreador is built on blanco tequila, apricot brandy liqueur, and freshly squeezed lime juice, rounded out with a touch of sugar syrup. It is shaken with ice, fine-strained, and served up.
Is a Toreador shaken or stirred?
Shaken. Because it contains citrus, the Toreador is shaken hard with ice for about 15 seconds, then fine-strained to keep the texture bright and free of ice shards.
What glass is a Toreador served in?
A Toreador is served up in a chilled coupe glass, garnished with a lime wedge. Chilling the coupe first keeps the drink cold since it is served without ice.
How is a Toreador different from a Margarita?
A Toreador uses apricot liqueur where a Margarita uses orange liqueur such as triple sec, giving it a softer stone-fruit sweetness. Both are shaken tequila-and-lime sours served up.
