I will always love tequila, not necessarily for the intense heat that travels from your throat all the way to your stomach with every shot, but more because of the head rush you feel after and the memories that go with it. (Don’t we all have at least one tequila-related anecdote from our younger years or even recent birthdays, bachelorette parties, and weddings?)

For a lot of us, the infamous tequila we “grew up with” is Jose Cuervo, of course, the oldest tequila brand and one of the world’s most popular. Did you know it has been produced in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, in Mexico since 1795? (Yes, Tequila is a town in Mexico.) Among its variants are Jose Cuervo Reposado, Jose Cuervo Silver, Jose Cuervo Tradicional 100% Agave Reposado, Jose Cuervo Tradicional 100% Agave Silver, Jose Cuervo Platino, Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, and Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix.

As we grow older and wiser, of course, we realize there are other ways of enjoying tequila besides “Lick, Shoot, and Suck” (lick salt off your hand—or someone’s body in Body Shots; shoot tequila; suck lemon). I soon graduated from tequila shots to Frozen Margaritas (strawberry is my favorite, although I wouldn’t refuse the signature lime flavor). Are you looking for other cocktail and shot concoctions you can make using your favorite Jose Cuervo variant? Click through the gallery below for 12 more you can mix in your next house party (I can’t wait to try all of these!).

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If you have your own Jose Cuervo cocktail or shot concoction, you may want to join the recently-launched Philippine leg of Dons of Tequila, the global search for the next hero of tequila who has what it takes to continue the legacy of the 250-year-old brand. The prize of a lifetime awaits: You get to fly to Tequila, Mexico to harvest your own crop of agave on the Jose Cuervo estate, blend it into a unique tequila, and win the batch, labeled under your own name! How’s that for going down in tequila history?

What you need to know to join the ongoing local leg of this worldwide hunt:

1. Just upload a photo of your signature tequila-based cocktail or shot serve (a new way to serve a shot of Jose Cuervo Gold or an innovative shot-size mix using Jose Cuervo Silver) at www.DonsofTequila.com.

2. Upload your photo and enter your details in the online form along with the name of your serve, an explanation of how you made the drink, and how it captures the spirit of the Dons.

3. Ten bartenders will be selected to compete in the National Finals on July 6, 2015.

4. The local finalists will undergo the Bartenders Bootcamp with the Dons of Tequila Mentors: Prive Luxury Club’s cocktail bartender and Diageo Reserve World Class 2014 winner Jerry Miranda; T.G.I. Friday’s Genrev Bacasno, who recently bagged second runner-up honors at the 23rd Annual World Bartender Championship; and celebrated personality Divine Lee, who will take care of the social media aspect.

5. The criteria for judging are: creativity, technical know-how, personality, and tasters’ votes.

6. Only one finalist will be declared winner and receive the title Don of Tequila – Philippines plus Jose Cuervo products and premium items as well as an all-expense paid trip to the Jose Cuervo distillery, La Rojeña, in the town of Tequila, in Mexico to represent the Philippines in the Global Finals of Jose Cuervo Dons of Tequila.

For more information about the competition and all things Jose Cuervo, visit www.DonsofTequila.com. The website features the stories of the current Dons of Tequila, as well as a selection of drinks fit for a Don, crafted and demonstrated by head barmen from La Rojeña.

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