The Margarita is where most people meet tequila at a bar. It is bright, familiar, and easy to understand. But it is only the beginning. Beyond the salt rim and lime, tequila can be peppery, vegetal, rounded, spicy, or deeply aromatic, depending on the expression and the bar’s pairings.
At a cocktail bar in Ubud, that range becomes even more interesting. Fresh citrus, tropical fruit, and chilli give tequila a natural connection to the surrounding ingredients, while blanco, reposado, and añejo offer very different starting points. Once you know what you want from the spirit, the tequila list becomes much easier to navigate.
Beyond the Margarita
The easiest way to understand tequila is to start with the three expressions you are most likely to encounter.
Blanco is unaged or rested for only a short period before bottling, keeping the cooked-agave character vivid and direct. It is usually the best choice when you want the spirit’s natural peppery and vegetal notes to come through in a cocktail.
Reposado is aged in oak for at least two months. The time in wood rounds the spirit and introduces notes such as vanilla, caramel, and spice without completely covering the agave. It works well when you want something softer and more rounded.
Añejo spends at least a year in oak, developing a deeper, richer character. With its oak, vanilla and dried-fruit notes, it drinks closer to a whisky than a young blanco, although the cooked-agave character remains underneath.
The difference matters because tequila is not one flavour. A Margarita made with blanco will feel bright and direct. The same format made with a more oak-influenced expression will feel rounder and richer.
That is the first step beyond the Margarita: understanding that the bottle itself changes the drink.
The Tequila Cocktails Worth Knowing
Once you know the basic expressions, the classics become easier to understand.
The Margarita remains the benchmark. Tequila, fresh lime, and orange liqueur, shaken cold, with salt optional. The combination works because the citrus brings acidity, the liqueur adds sweetness, and the tequila provides the backbone. Fresh lime is the difference between a lively Margarita and one that tastes flat or overly sweet.
The Paloma takes tequila in a longer direction. Tequila, grapefruit, lime, and soda over ice make a drink that is bright, refreshing, and easy to sip slowly. It gives the agave more room to show through than many fruit-heavy cocktails, while the grapefruit adds a gentle bitterness.
The tequila sour is the flexible option. Blanco tequila meets citrus and a sweetener, with the bar free to introduce fruit, herbs, spices or chilli. It is one of the easiest formats for modern agave cocktails because the basic structure can handle bold ingredients without losing the spirit completely.
Then there are the more spirit-forward drinks. Reposado and añejo can be stirred with bitters, vermouth or liqueurs, creating shorter cocktails where the tequila itself takes centre stage. These are the drinks to consider when you already know you enjoy the Margarita and want to taste more of the spirit.
How to Order a Tequila Drink
Once you move beyond the familiar Margarita, ordering becomes less about memorising cocktail names and more about describing what you want.
Bright and citrusy points towards blanco tequila, lime and grapefruit, usually in a shaken or long drink.
Spicy suggests chilli, pepper or an ingredient such as Ancho Reyes. Tequila and chilli work naturally together, with the heat reinforcing the peppery character of the agave.
Rounded points towards reposado. Oak softens the sharper edges of the spirit while adding vanilla and spice.
Rich is where añejo comes in. Longer ageing gives the tequila a deeper character that works particularly well in short, spirit-forward drinks.
Smoky takes you towards mezcal rather than tequila. Mezcal is a separate agave spirit category and can be made from several agave varieties. Many traditional mezcals are made by roasting the agave in underground pits, which can give the finished spirit a pronounced smoky character.
You can also ask the bar team to make a tequila drink with a particular fruit or spice. If you already know you enjoy a certain flavour, mention it. A good bar can often use that preference as a starting point rather than simply pointing you towards the most obvious cocktail on the list.
Tequila Drinks to Order at Pinstripe Bar
At Pinstripe Bar, tequila appears both in signature cocktails and in the agave selection for guests who want to taste the spirit more directly.
The Novelist is the signature tequila cocktail and a long way from the traditional Margarita. It combines Don Julio Blanco with Giffard Blue Curaçao, Ancho Reyes Verde, passion fruit, mango, turmeric and ají limo.
It is a deliberately layered drink. The blanco keeps the agave character present beneath the tropical fruit, while Ancho Reyes Verde adds a fresh chilli warmth rather than simply heat. Turmeric contributes an earthy note, giving the fruit something savoury to push against.
The result is a useful example of what tequila can do when the Margarita is no longer the template. It is fruity, spicy and aromatic without losing the identity of the spirit underneath.
Beyond the signature cocktails, the tequila selection gives you another way to explore the category. Ask the bar team for a blanco and a reposado side by side if you have never compared the two. The effect of oak is much easier to taste than to describe when the glasses are sitting next to each other.
The mezcal selection offers another comparison. If you enjoy the peppery freshness of tequila but want to understand what smoke does to agave, ask about a small mezcal pour alongside your tequila. The contrast is more useful than simply choosing one instead of the other.
If you want to explore the upper end of the category, the premium agave pours are covered separately in our piece on premium tequila in Bali, which also includes details of Taco Tequila Tuesday.
Reserve Your Table at Pinstripe Bar
The best tequila drinks depend on fresh citrus, good ice and careful balance, which makes the bar matter as much as the spirit.
Pinstripe Bar sits above the Valley of the Kings and opens daily from 4 PM to 11:30 PM, with the food menu from 5 PM to 9 PM and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.
If the Margarita is your usual tequila order, tell the bar team what you normally like and ask them to take you one step further. You might end up with something bright, spicy, rounded, or smoky that you would not have chosen from the menu yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best tequila cocktail to order?
A Margarita made with fresh lime is the benchmark if you want to understand the classic combination. A Paloma is a good choice if you prefer something longer and more refreshing. For something more contemporary, try a blanco sour with fruit or chilli.
What should I order if I usually drink Margaritas?
Start by keeping the same basic qualities you enjoy. If you like the Margarita’s freshness, try a Paloma or another citrus-led tequila cocktail. If you want more flavour and texture, ask for a fruit or chilli-led agave cocktail. If you want to taste more of the tequila itself, try a reposado or añejo in a shorter drink.
What is the difference between tequila and mezcal cocktails?
Tequila is made exclusively from blue agave, while mezcal can be made from several agave varieties. Tequila is commonly cooked in ovens, while many traditional mezcals are made by roasting the agave in underground pits, which can create a distinctive smoky character. In cocktails, mezcal can be used as the main spirit or in smaller amounts to add smoke and depth.
What tequila drink should a beginner order?
A Paloma is a good starting point if you want something long, bright, and refreshing. A Margarita is the better choice if you want to understand the classic tequila combination. If you already know you enjoy fruit and spice, a modern agave cocktail such as The Novelist offers a more adventurous introduction.
Is tequila good for sipping?
Yes. Blanco shows the direct character of cooked agave, while reposado and añejo offer more oak, vanilla, and spice. If you normally associate tequila with shots, tasting a quality tequila slowly can be a very different experience.
