Tis the season for all the festive cocktails and you guys are going to LOVE this Cranberry Orange Holiday Margarita recipe. Just like my Apple Cider Margaritas these are incredibly easy to make, are boy-friendly, can be mixed up in bulk and of course come with a very photogenic garnish and tasty rim!
Don’t let the pink color fool you into thinking these are super sugary. There definitely is some sweetness from the fruit juices, but it’s nothing too overpowering. The key is to use 100% cranberry juice (not cranberry juice cocktail) and an agave sweetener (this counters the bitterness from lime and cranberry juices.)
Another thing that I love about this recipe is you can easily customize it! Not big on orange juice? Skip it. Want more berry flavor? Add some pomegranate juice. If you don’t have an agave sweetener you could swap in honey, simple syrup or some sugar as a substitute.
CRANBERRY ORANGE HOLIDAY MARGARITA RECIPE
PREP YOUR GARNISHES. Rinse your cranberries, limes and fresh rosemary. If you want to get fancy, pour a spoonful of sugar on a plate and then lightly “dust” your damp cranberries and rosemary with the sugar for a crystallized look. I used a toothpick and added a few cranberries & candied ginger for a little extra color.
RIM YOUR GLASSES. Don’t skip this step! The rim of a margarita is so important and the sweet and saltiness of this one makes the drink. Just combine equal parts kosher salt and granulated sugar on a plate, then dip the edges of your glass into the mixture. Don’t forget to first dampen the rims with either lime wedge or under running water! I find that old fashioned-style or stemless wine glasses work best with this drink as deeper-welled cups keep the garnishes together and upright, versus a traditional shallow margarita glass.
MAKE THE MARGS. Place a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add your tequila, agave syrup, cranberry, lime and orange juices.. Shake for a few seconds until the ingredients are combined and then pour into your rimmed glasses. If preferred, add a few ice cubes to each drink.
ADD GARNISHES. Tis the season to be #extra and nothing impresses guests more than a pretty garnish. I’d suggest adding a sugar-coated sprig of rosemary and taking a toothpick with a few cranberries and candied ginger pieces. If you want to bring out the orange or lime flavors more, then you could add a fresh orange or lime slice too!
Ingredients
Directions
PREP YOUR GARNISHES. Rinse your cranberries, limes and fresh rosemary. If you want to get fancy, pour a spoonful of sugar on a plate and then lightly “dust” your damp cranberries and rosemary with the sugar for a crystallized look. I used a toothpick and added a few cranberries & candied ginger for a little extra color.
RIM YOUR GLASSES. Don’t skip this step! The rim of a margarita is so important and the sweet and saltiness of this one makes the drink. Just combine equal parts kosher salt and granulated sugar on a plate, then dip the edges of your glass into the mixture. Don’t forget to first dampen the rims with either lime wedge or under running water! I find that old fashioned-style or stemless wine glasses work best with this drink as deeper-welled cups keep the garnishes together and upright, versus a traditional shallow margarita glass.
MAKE THE MARGS. Place a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add your tequila, agave syrup, cranberry, lime and orange juices.. Shake for a few seconds until the ingredients are combined and then pour into your rimmed glasses. If preferred, add a few ice cubes to each drink.
ADD GARNISHES. Tis the season to be #extra and nothing impresses guests more than a pretty garnish. I’d suggest adding a sugar-coated sprig of rosemary and taking a toothpick with a few cranberries and candied ginger pieces. If you want to bring out the orange or lime flavors more, then you could add a fresh orange or lime slice too!
SHOP WHAT YA NEED:
PS thank you all SO MUCH for the incredible feedback on my Apple Cider Margarita Recipe. Never in a million years did I expect so many people would not only recreate, but fall in love with my all-time favorite cocktail. It gave me so much joy reading your messages and seeing all your marg photos on Instagram!
I have a feeling you’re going to love these holiday margs just as much so if you decide to shake ’em up don’t forget to share a photo tagging me on your Insta Story so I can repost your creation to mine! 🙂
SHOP MY OUTFIT:
Want to save this recipe for another time? Make sure to pin the graphic below to your Pinterest so it’s just one click away!
Rach says
This drink looks amazing!! For sure want to make it!
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Gigi says
Looks so delicious and so very festive. Can’t wait for the
holidays. It’s a magical and sharing time of year.
Julie | This Main Line Life says
Pinned this one for later. These are so fun and look delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Renate says
oh, it looks so delicious, I really like christmas and this time of the year is my favorite. thanks for this cool recipe 🙂
Neredecekiliyor.com says
Wooow. Very nice.Thanks
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Emily Sobiech says
I’m going to make this for sure! Do you think it would be easy to make it in a big pitcher, instead of one by one for a big party?