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This cranberry margarita is my favorite holiday cocktail, made with tequila, cranberry juice, fresh lime and a splash of homemade cranberry syrup. I love a good margarita any time of year, and this is the one I make from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. It’s sweet, tart and so festive with a salted rim and sugared cranberries on top!
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Pin ItIf you love margaritas as much as I do, try my cinnamon pomegranate margarita and pumpkin margarita, too. And for more holiday drinks, here are all of my favorite Christmas cocktails!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Cranberry Margarita So Good
- It’s sweet and tart, with bright fresh lime and a little homemade cranberry syrup.
- It takes just 5 minutes and simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
- You can make one drink or a whole pitcher for a holiday party!
- The natural pink color and sugared cranberries make it the prettiest drink on the holiday table.
Cranberry Margarita Ingredients
Tequila: I use blanco tequila. It’s smooth and lets the cranberry flavor shine.
Cranberry Juice: I use sweetened cranberry juice. 100% unsweetened juice is very tart, so if you use it, add a little extra syrup or agave.
Cointreau: Cointreau is my favorite orange liqueur, but triple sec works too.
Fresh Lime Juice: Always use fresh lime juice. It makes the biggest difference!
Cranberry Simple Syrup: My homemade cranberry simple syrup is so easy to make with just water, sugar and fresh cranberries. You can use regular simple syrup or agave instead.
Orange Zest: A little fresh zest adds the coziest orange flavor.
Salt and Cranberries: Coarse margarita salt for the rim and sugared cranberries to garnish.
How to Make a Cranberry Margarita
- Rim the glass. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in coarse salt.
- Shake. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the tequila, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lime juice, cranberry syrup and orange zest, and shake for 20 seconds.
- Pour. Strain into your glass over fresh ice. I love one large ice cube!
- Garnish. Top with cranberries and a little orange zest.
You’ll find all of the measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make a Cranberry Margarita Pitcher
Hosting a crowd? A pitcher of cranberry margaritas is so easy. Stir together the tequila, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lime juice and cranberry syrup in a large pitcher and keep it in the fridge until your guests arrive. You can mix it up to 4 hours ahead. When it’s time to serve, give it a stir and pour over ice in salt-rimmed glasses. The pitcher amounts for 8 drinks are in the recipe card notes.
Eden’s Tips for Cranberry Margaritas
I’ve been creating cocktails for Sugar and Charm for over 16 years, and these are my best tips for the perfect cranberry margarita.
Make the cranberry syrup ahead. It keeps in the fridge for two weeks, so I always have some ready for the holidays. It’s also so good in my cranberry Moscow mule!
Shake it well. Twenty seconds with plenty of ice gets it nice and cold.
Adjust the sweetness. If it’s too sweet, add more lime. If it’s too tart, add a little more syrup. If it’s too strong, top it with a splash of sparkling water.
Use a big ice cube. It melts slowly, so your drink doesn’t get watered down.
Make sugared cranberries. Roll fresh cranberries in a little simple syrup, then in sugar, and let them dry for about an hour. They look like little jewels on top!
What to Serve with Cranberry Margaritas
Cranberry margaritas are perfect for Friendsgiving, Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve. I love serving them with my baked brie, easy queso blanco and a big Christmas fruit platter. For a holiday brunch, they’re so good with my orange cranberry muffins. And if you want a few more festive cranberry drinks on the menu, try my poinsettia cocktail and cranberry martini.
Cranberry Margarita FAQs
I use sweetened cranberry juice because 100% unsweetened juice is very tart. If you use 100% juice, add a little extra cranberry syrup or agave to balance it.
I like blanco tequila because it’s smooth and lets the cranberry shine. Reposado works too and adds a warmer, oaky flavor.
Yes! Triple sec works great. Cointreau is a little smoother, but either one is delicious.
Yes! Leave out the tequila and Cointreau, and add a splash of orange juice and sparkling water. My margarita mocktail is a great place to start.
More Margarita Recipes
You can find all of my favorite tequila cocktails here, including my strawberry margarita, raspberry margarita, skinny margarita, golden margarita, and hibiscus margarita!
If you make this cranberry margarita, please leave a 5-star rating and a comment below. I love hearing from you, and it helps other people find the recipe!
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Cranberry Margarita
Ingredients
Cranberry Simple Syrup
- 2 ounces sweetened cranberry juice
- 1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila
- 1/2 ounces Cointreau
- 1 ounce lime juice , fresh squeezed
- 1/2 ounce cranberry simple syrup , More if you like it sweeter!
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest
- sugared cranberries, garnish
- salt, for a salted rim
Instructions
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip it in coarse salt.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 1/2 oz tequila, 2 oz cranberry juice, 1/2 oz Cointreau, 1 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz cranberry syrup and the orange zest.
- Shake for 20 seconds.
- Strain into the glass over fresh ice. Garnish with cranberries.
Notes
- Pitcher (8 drinks): 1 1/2 cups tequila, 2 cups sweetened cranberry juice, 1/2 cup Cointreau, 1 cup fresh lime juice, 1/2 cup cranberry simple syrup. Chill for up to 4 hours, then pour over ice. Chill for up to an hour, then pour over ice.
- Less sweet: use 100% cranberry juice and add syrup to taste.
- Too strong: top with a splash of sparkling water.
- Cranberry syrup: see my cranberry simple syrup. Agave or simple syrup work too.
- Mocktail: skip the tequila and Cointreau and add orange juice and sparkling water.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
