It’s honored in songs, thrown back in barroom movie scenes, and mixed into fruity frozen cocktails as the weather heats up — and now you can pay homage to the Southwest’s favorite liquor on National Tequila Day.

Tombstone; Clarkdale; Taylor

An Arizona State University student who passed out from drinking tequila was left in wheelchair in a hospital lobby with a Post-it note saying he took part in a drinking competition.

The go-to beverage of Cinco de Mayo is now available in dessert form. Margarita cupcakes are the latest offering from Scottsdale cupcake shop Sprinkles. The tangy little number with key lime-tequila cake capped by key lime frosting and sprinkled with salt is available May 3-5 at the bakery, 4501 N. Scottsdale Road.

Weekends are made for moving a little slower, taking time to enjoy oneself and reconnect with whatever’s been put on the back burner during a hectic work week.

A Mesa restaurant is hoping to offer connoisseurs of Mexican food and drink a not so party-hardy way to ring in Cinco de Mayo.

Gardening can be an intoxicating hobby, especially if the botany is booze-related.

We may not all get to look like George Clooney, but we can at least imbibe like him.

I long ago fell in love with the clean, crisp, sweet taste of Meyer lemons. And recently, Mexican foods guru Rick Bayless reminded me why.

The first rule of drinking on a diet is: Don't. Surely you've heard that Americans get way too many calories — and nutritionally empty calories at that — from alcohol.

Love tequila? Then you will want to attend the fourth annual Phoenix Tequila Fest this weekend in Phoenix where there will be tastings and samplings of some of the world’s finest tequilas.

Underground bunkers. Food stockpiles. Suicide pacts.

Wine dinners are old hat. Tequila dinners aren’t uncommon. And we’ve even managed to wrap our minds around the gourmet donut and craft beer pairings at Il Vinaio in downtown Mesa.

When you are on a budget, the holiday gift-giving season can be a seriously stressful time of year, especially if you are the type of person who loves getting together with others to swap gifts.

It’s no secret that liquor is a simple solution to holiday gift-giving. You don’t see a lot of people lining up Dec. 26 to return bottles of 12-year-old Scotch. And what better way to embrace the spirit of giving than by giving a spirit?

After 17 years in Ahwatukee Foothills the Annual Festival of Lights Kick-Off Party only continues to grow.

A night without dishes is always welcome in our book, and so are kids-eat-free deals. The latest on our radar is at TQLA, the recently opened tequila bar and Southwestern kitchen at Dana Park in Mesa. The deal is good, on Mondays, for one free child’s entrée when an adult purchases an adult entrée.

We’re no stranger to Fall’s pumpkin-this, pumpkin-that frenzy. We’ve sipped, scarfed and inhaled more pumpkin-imbued coffee, cheesecake and candles than is probably reasonable. And, yet, there’s another autumn creation we’re itching to try: TQLA’s new pumpkin margarita.

Lucha libre wrestling, surf music, cooking demos, a mariachi contest and thousands of $2 tacos characterize this event, taking place at Salt River Fields, where more than 50 teams compete for National Taco Association prizes.

More than 25 restaurants will come together in an outdoor, open-air setting to serve up samplings of their finest fare during Taste of Cave Creek.

Owners of a new tequila bar and restaurant at Dana Park in east Mesa say the concept is all about doing tequila right.