The margarita is one of our top favorite drinks over here, so we love making up spins on it. Meet our favorite new variation: the Cranberry Margarita! This bright red drink is absolutely stunning to look at, and the sweet tart flavor is crisp and refreshing. It’s got all the character of the classic margarita, but a beautiful new look and nuance to the flavor! In fact, Alex and I love these almost as much as the original. Serve it for any occasion that calls for a red cocktail (Christmas? Valentine’s Day?), or a creative way to use up cranberry juice. Whatever the case, it’s a total showstopper!
What’s in a cranberry margarita?
The margarita is one of the most famous classic cocktails there is! It was invented in the 1930’s and has stood the test of time. In fact, it’s on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, meaning there’s an “official” definition. The classic margarita uses just lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila. This cranberry margarita recipe is a spin on the classic using unsweetened cranberry juice. Because it’s rather tart, we’ve added in just a bit of simple syrup to balance it out. The flavor is perfection: almost like cranberry was originally intended to be in this drink! Here are the cranberry margarita ingredients:
Cranberry juice Tequila (use blanco or reposado) Cointreau Fresh lime juice Simple syrup or maple syrup
Use unsweetened cranberry juice!
This cranberry martini uses 100% cranberry juice, which is unsweetened. But there’s also another option when you shop: sweetened cranberry juice! Here’s the difference and what to keep in mind:
Sweetened cranberry juice aka cranberry juice cocktail, has added sugars and sometimes high-fructose corn syrup as sweetener. It is the type used for classic cranberry cocktails of the past, like the Vodka Cranberry. 100% cranberry juice is easy to find at your local grocery store. The benefit? The color is brighter, and you can sweeten your drink to taste.
What if all you can find is sweetened? Use half of the simple syrup in the recipe below — or even add it to taste.
What’s the best tequila for cranberry margaritas?
This cranberry margarita tastes great with any type of tequila. What’s the best tequila for margaritas? Our rule of thumb is: the better the liquor, the better the drink! We like to try to find a bottle that is mid-priced: usually that correlates to the quality. As far as type of tequila, you can use either blanco or reposado tequila here. What’s the difference?
Tequila blanco (or “new” tequila) has been aged less than 2 months and has a strong, straightforward flavor. Tequila reposado (“rested” in Spanish) is aged longer, from 2 to 12 months. It has a more nuanced flavor, with notes of oak and vanilla. For that reason, we tend to prefer tequila reposado in a drink: it tastes more nuanced and intriguing. It makes for a much more sophisticated drink!
How to make a cranberry margarita: single drink
There’s not much to a cranberry margarita: just mix up the ingredients and shake! If you’d like, you can garnish with fresh cranberries: but it’s totally optional. (Or go to our Christmas Margarita for a more holiday drink look.) Here’s what to do:
Serving a crowd? Make a cranberry margarita pitcher
Want to mix up a batch of cranberry margaritas for a crowd? You can make a pitcher and then pour it into individual glasses. It’s much easier! To make a pitcher that serves 8 drinks, mix together in a pitcher:
1 ½ cups tequila 1 ½ cups 100% cranberry juice 1 cup Cointreau ½ cup lime juice ½ cup simple syrup or maple syrup (omit if using sweetened cranberry juice and add to taste)
Add 3 handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses and serve!
More cranberry cocktails
There are lots more cranberry cocktails where this comes from! Cranberry cocktails have been around since the 1940’s, when cranberry juice started being marketed as a mixer for drinks. Here are a few classics and newer spins!
Whip up the classic Vodka Cranberry, one of the easiest cocktails there is Arguably the most famous cranberry cocktail is the sweet tart Cosmopolitan Add grapefruit to the Vodka Cranberry and make it a Sea Breeze Go for a Malibu Bay Breeze or a Bay Breeze Add bubbles and make it a Cranberry Mimosa Add ginger beer for a Cranberry Mule or Christmas Mule Grab a Long Beach Iced Tea or St Germain & Cranberry
When to serve a cranberry margarita
The cranberry margarita is a bright red drink that’s festive and fun! It works as a:
Happy hour drink Dinner party drink Christmas cocktail or winter drink Fall cocktail Valentine’s Day drink Girls night or bachelorette party Cocktail hour drink
Margarita variations!
Looking for more margaritas? We’ve got lots of options. Here are all the best margarita recipes to try: 5 from 2 reviews **To make a pitcher of 8 servings, mix together in a pitcher: 1 ½ cups tequila, 1 ½ cups 100% unsweetened cranberry juice, 1 cup Cointreau, ½ cup lime juice, and ½ cup simple syrup or maple syrup. Add three handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses.
Classic: Simple Margarita, Cointreau Margarita, or Triple Sec Margarita Fruity: Mango Margarita, Strawberry Margarita, Pineapple Margarita, Peach Margarita, Blackberry Margarita, or Watermelon Margarita Boozy: Mezcal Margarita, Grand Marnier Margarita or Cadillac Margarita Light: Skinny Margarita, Virgin Margarita, or Frozen Margarita Spicy: Jalapeno Margarita Unique: Italian Margarita or Beer Margarita
