Christmas Margarita

A Christmas Margarita is a tasty way to kick off the holiday season! The festive libation is merry, refreshing, and a lovely alternative to more traditional holiday drinks like eggnog. Shake up one to pair with cookies or make a big batch for a gathering to celebrate!

about this christmas margarita

The halls are decked, the tree is decorated, Christmas cookies have been baked, and now it’s time to celebrate with friends and family!

Is there anything more festive than a signature christmas cocktail for your upcoming celebration? To me, it’s the easiest way to elevate a simple party to something a little extra festive.

Usually this time of year it’s all Wassail, eggnog, and sangria. If you are looking for something to stand out in the crowd, it’s time to make a Christmas margarita!

This cocktail brings together the familiar flavors of a traditional classic margarita with a holiday infusion of cranberry and pomegranate. The zesty tartness of the drink is bright and will keep you coming back sip after sip. It’s a festive twist everyone will love!

You can even customize this drink by changing up the ratios of the drink whether it’s adding more booze or scaling back on the juices. Another option is to add a little fizz to the mix with a splash of club soda.

Don’t forget the garnish to make it extra festive! It’ll be the star of your next Christmas party.

ingredients

cranberry juice. Use 100% cranberry juice that is unsweetened. Do not use cranberry juice cocktail as this product is sweetened and will throw off the flavor of the drink.

pomegranate juice. 100% pomegranate juice is best for this recipe.

lime juice. fresh lime juice is best, in my opinion!

orange liqueur. The best options for a margarita are Cointreau or Grand Marnier. However, if you don’t want to break the bank, simple use triple sec.

tequila. Silver tequila or blanco tequila is the liquor I like to use in this recipe. My personal favorites are a mid-range price point like El Jimador or Dobel. However you can also use gold tequila, if you prefer.

garnish. I like to use fresh cranberries, pomegranate jewels and sprigs of rosemary to garnish each cocktail.

this recipe’s must haves

There aren’t too many tools required to make this drink! You will need a jigger to measure out the ingredients. To make the cocktail, a cocktail shaker like a Boston shaker is ideal. Finally, use a cocktail strainer to strain the drink.

here’s how to make a christmas margarita

rim glasses

Wet the rim of the glass or glasses with a fresh lime wedge. Pour flaky salt on a plate and run the wet rim of the glass through the salt.

Set aside.

shake

Add cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, lime juice, orange liqueur, and tequila to a shaker filled with ice. Shake to combine.

strain

Fill rimmed glass with ice. Strain margarita into the prepared glass.

Garnish with fresh cranberries and pomegranate seeds. Add a rosemary sprig and serve.

tips and tricks

use unsweetened juice. When making this recipe, make sure that you use unsweetened cranberry juice (labeled 100% cranberry juice) and unsweetened pomegranate juice. Do not use a juice cocktail as they are sweetened.

make a sugar rim. If you don’t like salt for your margaritas, you can use raw sugar as a rim for the cocktail glasses. Consider making a cinnamon sugar rim by combining equal parts ground cinnamon and granulated sugar too.

don’t have a shaker? You can use a mason jar instead! Fill with ice, seal, and shake.

More tasty Christmas drinks to try: Christmas Sangria | Cranberry Mimosa | Instant Pot Mulled Wine | Cranberry Margarita

can this be made ahead of time?

This is a great cocktail to make ahead of time! Strain the mixture into a container (no ice) to store in the refrigerator. Before serving, give it a stir, then pour into rimmed glasses filled with ice. Garnish and serve.

which tequila should I use?

I like to use blanco tequila for this recipe, but you can also use gold tequila if you prefer.

can I make a big batch of christmas margaritas?

You certainly can! This is a simple cocktail to make in a big batch for a gathering. The easiest way to adjust the recipe is to use the servings adjuster in the recipe card below. Scale it up to however many people you want to serve!

For quick reference, to serve 6 you will need 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice, 3/4 cup pomegranate juice, 3 oz freshly squeezed lime juice, 3/4 cup orange liqueur, and 9 oz blanco tequila. Combine it in a large pitcher with ice, stir and serve.

can I turn this into a frozen margarita?

You sure can! Simply add some ice with all the ingredients to a blender and blend to combine. Taste and adjust the flavors as desired.

is it possible to make this a mocktail?

Yes, this margarita can be turned into a mocktail! Omit the tequila and orange liqueur. Add in 1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice and make as instructed.

Need more inspiration for cocktails? Check out my cocktail recipes page!

what to serve with a christmas margarita

A Christmas margarita is a festive drink that’s ideal for pairing with all your Latin favorites like tacos, pozole, enchiladas and more! You can also make this chicken taco seasoning and season your chicken with it (creating a taco bar is super fun too!).

Since this recipe also has cranberry and pomegranate as the stars, it’s also easy to pair with seasonal dishes that aren’t Latin-inspired. You could serve it with comforting Instant Pot short rib ragu or rigatoni al forno (baked rigatoni).

more tasty holiday recipes

If you need a tasty holiday appetizer, this very merry christmas cheese board is the ideal spread for any occasion. You can even add bacon wrapped dates to make it a little extra special!

One of my favorite holiday projects is to make a christmas cookie box!

Easy rigatoni al forno is the ultimate comfort food and perfect for a holiday meal.

Finally, if you make this christmas margarita recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a rating and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.

Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!

Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!