Cranberry Margarita

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.