Cranberry Margarita
on Nov 17, 2023, Updated Jul 03, 2024
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This sweet and tart cranberry margarita is the perfect cocktail to celebrate with this holiday season! Made with only 4 ingredients and only 5 minutes until you’re sipping on this festive drink!
Looking for another spin on a classic margarita? Try this apple cider margarita!
Why you’ll love it
4 ingedients – You only need 4 ingredients to make this cranberry margarita. If you make margaritas frequently, you likely already have 3 of the ingredients on hand.
Sweet and tart – This margarita is a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. Sweetness from the cointreau paired with the sweet tart flavor of the cranberry juice and fresh lime is the perfect combo.
Festive – The crimson red color of these margaritas make them a fun and festive drink to serve at all your holiday parties and dinners! The fresh cranberries and sprig of rosemary to garnish the cocktail give it a true winter touch!
The ingredients
- Tequila – Tequila blanco/silver tequila works best for these margaritas.
- Cointreau – Cointreau is an orange liqueur often used in classic margaritas. Triple Sec or Grand Marnier are other options to use.
- Cranberry juice – Use 100% cranberry juice. It has the purest cranberry flavor and isn’t sweetened with other fruit juices or high fructose-corn syrup.
- Lime – Fresh squeezed lime juice is a must for margaritas. I don’t recommend using bottled lime juice.
- Fresh cranberries and a rosemary sprig – Garnishes that are optional, but add the perfect festive wintery touch!
How to make a cranberry margarita
Start by rimming a cocktail glass with lime juice and dipping it in kosher or sea salt. If you prefer a sweet rim, dip it in granulated sugar. Want salty sweet? Combine both salt and sugar.
Add the cranberry juice, tequila, cointreau, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker or mason jar with a lid. Add some ice to the cocktail shaker and shake for a few seconds until cold.
Pour the margarita into the salt rimmed glass and top it with fresh cranberries and a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish if you’d like.
Recommended tequila for margaritas
You’ll want to use a high quality blanco or silver tequila for this margarita. You don’t need to buy a $100 bottle, but I wouldn’t use the cheapest one either. Below are a few of my favorites.
- 123 Organic Tequila Blanco (Uno) – My personal favorite
- Casa Noble Blanco
- Casa Azul
- Espolon Blanco
- Don Julio Blanco
- El Tesoro
Do I have to have a cocktail shaker to make a margarita?
No. You can use a mason jar with a lid instead. Add ice and all the margarita ingredients to the jar and shake until well combined. Pour into a glass or even drink it out of the jar.
Variation
If you’re a fan of mezcal or are feeling adventurous, try using it as a substitution for the tequila. I first tried it when I made these strawberry mezcal margaritas and was pleasantly surprised. Mezcal has a smoky flavor and tastes great with the sweet tart cranberry juice.
More festive holiday cocktails
- Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
- Pomegranate Margaritas
- Apple Cider Mimosas
- Cranberry Orange Bourbon Cocktail
- Cranberry Orange Mimosas
- Spiced Rum Chai Latte
Did you make this cranberry margarita? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Cranberry Margarita
Ingredients
- 3 ounces unsweetened cranberry juice
- 2 ounces silver tequila blanco
- 1 ounce cointreau orange liquor
- 1/2 lime juiced
- Fresh cranberries and rosemary sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Line the rim of a cocktail glass with lime juice. Dip it in salt or sugar or a mixture of both.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until combined and cold, then pour into the glass. Garnish with fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
