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Tart and sweet, this Cranberry Margarita is made with a blend of pure cranberry juice, lime juice, tequila and orange liqueur. Garnish with fresh cranberry and rosemary sprigs to create a festive mistletoe look perfect for serving at Christmas!
Why we love this recipe
Margaritas are one of my all time favorite cocktails, the combination of fresh lime juice with tequila, a hint of orange and sweetness from the triple sec can’t be beat! This version in particular is one of my new go-tos this season.
- Holiday Cheer: These drinks are beautiful, festive, and perfect for Christmas time.
- Simple Ingredients: This cocktail comes together with 5 ingredients, and uses real juices.
- Adaptable: Adjust the amounts to create a drink that is more tart, or more sweet. Rim the glass with salt or sugar. Add more or less lime juice. Make this drink to suit your own tastes.
Cranberry Margarita Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cranberry Juice: Use pure cranberry juice, which has no sugar or sweetener added. Substitute with cranberry juice cocktail for sweetness and leave out the agave.
- Agave: We use Organic Agave for sweetness since the juice used is not sweetened. Substitute with a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar).
the Best Tequila for Margaritas
Use a Blanco or silver tequilas when making a margarita. Reposados can also be a mildly flavored option since they are briefly aged (under a year). Avoid anejo tequila since it has been aged over a year and has a strong flavor which can be too much competition in a margarita. My favorite tequila to use is 3 Amigos Organic Blanco Tequila.
How to make cranberry margaritas
To begin, prepare a cocktail glass by rubbing a lime wedge along the rim and dipping into coarse salt or sugar.
Next, fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in the cranberry juice, tequila and agave. Shake the drink to combine and chill it. Taste and add more agave as needed to balance the tart flavor of the cranberry. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, mix the drink in a large glass filled with ice and stir with a spoon.
Add ice to the prepared cocktail glass and pour the drink in.
Serving
This cranberry margarita recipe is perfect for Christmas, make it extra festive by garnishing with fresh cranberries and sprigs of rosemary to create a mistletoe look. Pair it with a meal of Prime Rib, Rack of Lamb, or Braised Short Ribs for an elegant and beautiful Holiday meal.
Variations
- Make a Pitcher: Prepare a large batch to serve by increasing the amounts used: 2 cups of tequila, 1 cup of triple sec, 3 cups of cranberry juice, 1/2 cup lime juice, and approximately 2.5 tablespoons agave.
- Mocktail Version: Swap out the tequila for club soda or use a non-alcoholic tequila.
- Frozen Cranberry Margarita: To make a frozen margarita, blend the ingredients with some ice, adding more ice or juice to get the right consistency.
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Cranberry Margarita
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces tequila silver or blanco
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 3 ounces cranberry juice
- 1-2 teaspoons agave add to taste
- juice from 1/2 a lime
Garnish
- fresh cranberries
- rosemary sprigs
- coarse salt or sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a glass by rubbing a lime wedge along the rim and dipping into coarse salt or sugar.
- Combine all of the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker filled with ice until well blended. Taste and add more agave as needed to balance the tart flavors.
- Add ice to the prepared cocktail glass and pour the drink in.
- Garnish with fresh cranberries and sprigs of rosemary to create a mistletoe look.
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
