Cranberry Margaritas
Festive and sweet-tart, these cranberry margaritas are my go-to cocktail for holiday gatherings from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. They start with a quick cranberry jam that’s easily doubled. The jam makes an excellent base for margaritas, but you can also mix it with sparkling water for a non-alcoholic version.
It’s the day after Thanksgiving. Are you still stuffed? Or maybe you’re enjoying leftovers after a day of shopping? Eric and I skipped the mall and spent the morning with our girl at the children’s museum, then enjoyed lunch at one of our favorite local coffee shops. Now we’re back to working on our kitchen renovation. (Psst -I’ve got cabinets to show you next week!)
Since we didn’t travel to see family yesterday, we had a lot of time to hang out and work on the kitchen make margaritas during nap time. Cranberry margaritas are festive all the way through New Year’s. You’ve still got plenty of time to test out a batch before making these for your next holiday gathering.
These margaritas start with a quick cranberry jam as their base. It can be made ahead of time, and you can even make a double batch so there’s plenty to go around. Like my favorite cranberry sauce, this recipe uses orange zest and orange juice. Add in some lime juice and tequila, and you’ve got a simple and stunning cocktail that everyone is sure to love. The jam doubles as a great base for non-alcoholic drinks, too. Simply mix some with your favorite sparkling water (a citrus flavor is excellent here) for a drink anyone can enjoy.
If you’re looking for more holiday recipes, give my favorite dinner rolls and crisp roasted chicken a try!
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: 4 drinks
For the cranberry jam:
¾ cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
For the drinks:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch each of cinnamon and white pepper, optional
2 ounces lime juice
4 ounces orange juice
6 ounces tequila
Freshly squeezed juice is great here, but high quality jarred juice is totally fine, too. I’ve found the jam keeps for a couple weeks, and it’s also delicious mixed into yogurt if you don’t use it all in margaritas.
- 1
Place the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and jammy. Remove from heat and mix in the orange zest. Allow to cool completely. Jam can be made up to several days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- 2
Mix salt, sugar, cinnamon and white pepper (if using) together on a small plate. Rub the rims of 4 Old Fashioned glasses with a lime wedge. Dip rims in salt mixture and fill glasses with ice.
- 3
For each cocktail, combine ½ ounce lime juice, 1 ounce orange juice, 1½ ounces tequila, and 2 tablespoons of cranberry jam in a cocktail shaker; fill with ice. Cover and shake until outside is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into prepared glass.
These are sooo perfect for the holidays. Love!
These are sooo perfect for the holidays. Love!
The color is just so stunning! Wow! Beautiful for the holidays!
This definitely looks like a party in a cup!
This definitely looks like a party in a cup!