Shake up your Cinco de Mayo with these alternative takes on the classic margarita

With Cinco de Mayo upon us, we're already salivating over the excuse to indulge in our favorite Mexican beverage. But in a town with as many margaritas as ours, even margs can get monotonous.

We searched out some of the best twists on the classic margarita for this special in-office edition of Bottoms Up! so you can shake things up at home on the big day. First up is Grand Marnier's French Margarita, a saucy take on the tequila cocktail that reverses the ratio of the main ingredients.

Grand Marnier's French (Reverse) Margarita

• 3 ounces Grand Marnier
• 1.5 ounces premium tequila
• 3 ounces fresh lime juice
• 3 ounces simple syrup

Shake all the ingredients over ice or blend and pour into salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with a slice of orange.

Riazul's Diablito Margarita

• 2 ouches tequila añejo
• 5 slices of lime
• .75 ounces simple syrup
• 2 slices of skinned cucumber
• 3 dashes of your favorite hot sauce

Muddle all the ingredients but hot sauce in a shaker with ice. Pour into a salt-rimmed glass and top with hot sauce.

Cucumber Margarita

• sliced cucumber
• fresh lime juice
• 4 ounces triple sec liqueur
• 6 ounces tequila reposado

Served best blended and garnished with lime.

Have a favorite summer cocktail? Write in with your suggestions for CultureMap's next "Drink of the Month" in the comments or send an e-mail to caroline@culturemap.com.

Note: CultureMap's resident office barware is courtesy of Bartule.