Cranberry Margarita

A wide margarita glass filled with the cranberry drink with cranberries on the table

The cranberry margarita takes the usual tequila, Cointreau, and lime and adds a little cranberry juice to make a tasty red cocktail that has just the right balance of tartiness and sweet flavors.

Course Cocktail

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword cranberry margarita, holiday margarita

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings cocktails

Calories 288kcal

Author Elaine Benoit

Equipment

Ingredients

4 ounces tequila
2 ounces Cointreau (or other orange liqueur like triple sec)
6 ounces cranberry juice (unsweetened)
2 ounces lime juice (freshly squeezed)
1 ounce simple syrup (OR if you can't find unsweetened cranberry juice and have to use sweetened, use only .50 ounces)

Garnish

8 cranberries (as garnish)

Instructions

Get your cocktail shaker and fill it halfway with ice. And spear 4 cranberries on each martini pick.
Add tequila, Cointreau, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup.
4 ounces tequila, 2 ounces Cointreau, 6 ounces cranberry juice, 2 ounces lime juice, 1 ounce simple syrup
Cap the shaker and shake for 15 seconds.
Add fresh ice to the glasses. Strain and divide the margarita between the two glasses and add the ice from the shaker as well.
Add a cranberry filled martini pick to each glass.
8 cranberries
Sip
Smile
Enjoy

Notes

Helpful tips

The cranberry juice I use is unsweetened and I get it at Whole Foods. I recommend using unsweetened because that way you can control how sweet the cocktail is without worrying about what's already in the juice.
If you can't find unsweetened cranberry juice, cut down the simple syrup to .50 ounce.
Wash your limes before juicing them. Here's how: squirt some natural, unscented foaming soap into your hand. I get mine at Whole Foods. Rub the lime between your hands to cover it with soap. Use a vegetable brush to scrub the skin and then run the lime under cold water, making sure all the soap has been washed off.
Make your own simple syrup as it saves you money and is so easy. Here’s how: add equal amounts of water and sugar to a saucepan. 1 cup each. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower to a simmer for 5 minutes. Allow the syrup cool completely before using it in a cocktail.
I don't really think this margarita needs a salted rim, but other people like it so I only salted one glass. Here's how: Wet your finger with either lime juice or simple syrup and rub it around the rim of the glass. Pour a small amount of either kosher salt or some flake salt like Maldon salt on a small plate. Take the glass and roll it in the salt so the rim is covered as much as you like. With the glass upside down, gently shake it so any loose salt is dislodged. Set the glass upright. Just a note: when you pour the liquid into the glass, don't let it run over the salt or you'll have a salty margarita.

Nutrition