Who can forget Mexico’s victory over Napoleon III’s forces at the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862? No one who enjoys tequila, that’s for certain, as Cinco de Mayo is one of the many annual excuses for a Mexican celebration (independence, death, the margarita, etc…).

The elevation in quality of the tequila available in Europe in recent years means that bartenders, whether professionals or enthusiasts at home, can be a little more creative than just churn out the classics for these occasions.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a good margarita, or variations such as a Tommy’s (agave syrup replacing triple sec) or a Soho House Picante (with muddled chilli and coriander), and there are few better summer long drinks than a crafted paloma (fresh grapefruit juice, lime, agave syrup and soda). But the subtly different characters of premium tequilas mean that you can explore different flavour pairings to suit specific flavour profiles.

Take Maestro Dobel Diamante, which was the original cristalino – now a popular variety among premium tequilas. It is a blend of reposado (aged in wood for a minimum of two months), añejo (one to three years) and extra-añejo (over three), which is then filtered to remove the colour imparted by the barrels, without losing the flavours. So, it has the crystal clarity of a blanco, but with the smoothness of an aged tequila.

Paloma cocktail with Maestro Dobel Humito Smoked Silver Tequila

Some tequilas lose their agave heart as they age, but there is a balance in Maestro Dobel Diamante – especially on the nose, there is still a herbal, vegetal greenness above the vanilla, honey and nuttiness that continues on the palate, along with a warming spice. So what cocktail ingredient would pair well with that profile?

As fruits go, pomegranate – with its combination of tartness with deep berry sweetness – is one that often crops up in savoury dishes. Most familiar is its use in North African and Levantine cuisine, but it is there in at least one Mexican recipe – chiles en nogada, stuffed poblano chillies with a walnut sauce jewelled with pomegranate.

Jalisco Sour made from Maestro Dobel Diamante Reposado Tequila

It’s a popular dish for Mexican national holidays, as it includes all the colours of the flag. It also contains at least 20 ingredients, so it’s a lot easier to represent the green, white and red with limes, egg white and pomegranate syrup in this Maestro Dobel Diamante twist on a sour…

Jalisco sour

45ml Maestro Dobel Diamante

25ml lime juice

15ml pomegranate syrup

1 egg white (or aquafaba or foamer)

Angostura bitters

The method calls for mixing all the ingredients except the bitters and serving over rocks or straight up. If you choose the latter, and like a good foam on a sour, Brummell Drinks would advise a reverse dry shake: shake the Diamante, lime and pomegranate with ice; fine-strain back into the shaker, discard the ice, and add the foaming ingredient; shake again without ice and pour without straining, then add one or two dots of bitters to the foam.