Thick, orange-lime cranberry sauce is amazing when shaken with tequila and orange liqueur and then poured over ice. I mean, how can you go wrong with fresh cranberry margaritas? Especially ones which pack as much cranberry flavor as possible into each drink!
There is a chill in the air and the days are getting shorter. Fall is officially here and it’s time to put the comforter on the bed and make apple pies and look at pretty leaves! And it’s the time when thoughts of food bloggers turn to cranberries.
What can I say?
Cranberries and fall go together. Especially around here with the cranberry bogs having their harvests right about now. Anyway, all those thoughts of cranberries made it easy for me to decide on this month’s cocktail! It had to be cranberries, right?
I created a Cranberry Ginger Fizz last fall, which I think that is a pretty great cocktail, but the more the merrier. You can’t have too many cranberry cocktails! So I wanted something a little bit different this year. To that end I made a super thick and super intense cranberry syrup and mixed that with tequila to make cranberry margaritas.
Basically, I made my cranberry sauce with less water and then gave it a puree and strain to make for smooth, thick sauce. It does gel quite impressively, but a good shake mixes it all together into a delicious margarita. I went with sugar on the rim, but I know that salt would work just as well, depending on your tastes.
This is one of those recipes which my husband was always happy to help me test. I wonder why?
Desserts, cranberry margaritas, any recipe with bacon. I think I have the secret to a happy husband! 🙂
If you have some smaller members of the family who want a ‘special cranberry drink’, I mixed the syrup with orange juice and ginger ale for my daughter. I didn’t measure, but it was something along the lines of 1 ounce of cranberry syrup and then equal amounts of orange juice and soda to fill about half the glass and then ice to fill the rest. I didn’t try it, but she loved it! So it must have been good, right? And, yes, I rimmed her glass with sugar too. It’s not so special a drink without the sugar rim!
– Happy Drinking, Annemarie
Fresh Cranberry Margaritas
Ingredients
Cranberry Syrup
- 12 oz whole cranberries, either fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp lime juice, about 1 1/2 limes
- 3/4 cup orange juice
Cocktail
- 2 oz (4 tbsp) cranberry syrup
- 3 oz (6 tbsp) tequila
- 1 oz (2 tbsp) lime juice
- 1 oz (2 tbsp) orange liqueur
- ice
- sugar - either granulated or sanding sugar to rim the glasses
Instructions
- To make the cranberry syrup: Add all the syrup ingredients to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let the syrup simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst. Cool for 5 minutes. Puree the syrup in a blender and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a container. Transfer the container to the refrigerator until the syrup is cool. Syrup can be made up to 1 week ahead.
- To make the margaritas: Prepare two cocktail glasses. Pour a few tablespoons of sugar onto a plate. Wet the rims with a little water or lime juice (the squeezed lime halves are great for running along the edges of the glasses) and turn them upside down onto the plate into the sugar. Once the glasses are rimmed with sugar, fill the glasses about halfway with ice.
- Add syrup, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur to a cocktail shaker. Fill it the rest of the way with ice. Shake vigorously and then pour the cocktail into the two glasses.
Notes
ChubbyHubby says
I tried these. They’re like that cranberry orange relish you made as a kid at Thanksgiving. But for grownups.
I’m going to serve these with the post-thanksgiving dinner sandwiches.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Excellent description! And I like your plan. 🙂
Edyta/Innocent Delight says
Great idea for a Thanksgiving dinner. I’m sure all the guest will love it and for those not drinking alcohol I will try your mixture of cranberry sauce, orange and ginger ale. Fabulous.
justalittlebitofbacon says
It’s a great Thanksgiving recipe and my daughter definitely loves the ginger ale version
Platter Talk says
Those looks so delicious and refreshing! The cranberries and tequila seem like they’d go together very well.
justalittlebitofbacon says
It is a great combo!
Debi at Life Currents says
This sounds like a wonderful holiday festive drink. One that might help me deal a little bit better with the family around the holidays. hee hee Just kidding, but these look awesome!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks, Debi. And I’m all for a little unwinding from the stress around the holidays.
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
I so need these in my life! Packed full of flavor is my kind of cocktail!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thank you! 🙂
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
oh YUM! I have frozen cranberries in my freezer right now- just waiting to be eaten. A cocktail sounds like the best way to do that. haha. Love this!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Well, there you go, Sarah. 🙂 You almost have to make them.
Molly Kumar says
I love Margaritas and I’ve never had a Cranberry flavored one. These look super yum and will definitely try this holiday season.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks, Molly! I love cranberry sauce and this seemed a great way to use it in a new way. 🙂