The Taste of Limon

• Given that tequila works so well with citrus juices like lemon and lime, it should come as no surprise that the liquor also mixes well with citrus-flavored sodas. Lemon-lime soda mixes well with tequila in a number of cocktails, with the most famous one being a tequila slammer, which is just equal parts tequila and lemon-lime soda on the rocks. Another tequila and lemon-lime soda cocktail is the blood on the rocks, which gets its name from its reddish tint -- chill three parts triple sec and four parts tequila, strain into a rocks glass, top with lemon-lime soda and a few splashes of grenadine.

In the Club

• Basic club soda does a good job of mellowing out tequila's sharp and fiery flavors in a few simple cocktails. The easiest is just a shot of tequila on the rocks topped with soda and garnished with a lime. Another simple cocktail is the tequila collins, which is three parts tequila, six parts sweet and sour mix, two parts club soda and a splash of lemonade on ice. A more involved cocktail is the Doctor Dawson -- chill four parts tequila, one part lemon juice, a pinch of superfine sugar, a dash of bitters and an egg, then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and top with club soda.

Cola Kick

• Tequila mixes with regular cola in quite a number of tasty beverages. The simplest drink is the teef, which is just a shot of tequila on the rocks topped with cola. A cola and tequila drink that has a little fruit in it is the border crossing -- mix three parts tequila, eight parts cola and a few splashes each of lemon and lime juices on the rocks. A good after-dinner cocktail with tequila and cola is the Colorado mother -- mix equal parts tequila, coffee liqueur and milk and a couple of splashes of cola on the rocks.

A Good Tonic

• Although tonic water is normally reserved for lighter spirits such as gin and vodka, it works surprisingly well in a few tequila cocktails. One unfortunately named simple drink is the tequila toilet, which is one part tequila, two parts tonic water and three parts orange juice on the rocks. Another easy drink that focuses on citrus flavors is the tequonic, which is one part fresh lemon juice and four parts tequila on ice and topped with tonic water. Tequila shots also sometimes have tonic, such as the TNT shot, which is three parts tequila topped with one part chilled tonic water.