The thought of margaritas might bring visions of sunshine and summer weather, but with a few tweaks to the traditional recipe, you can turn the cocktail into a mistletoe margarita instead. This is sure to be a new seasonal favorite.
There are plenty of ways to make a mistletoe margarita. You can vary the type of tequila you use and modify the overall flavor, but you’ll find that many of the recipes call for cranberries or cranberry juice. The seasonal fruit takes center stage in this Mistletoe Margarita recipe from Delish. Along with whole cranberries, you’ll also need cranberry juice, sugar, salt, triple sec and (of course) tequila.
You can choose to keep the recipe pretty basic by just combining the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker or jazz it up a bit by coating some cranberries in sugar and placing them on top of the drink. While the recipe calls for putting the ingredients in a blender and serving it frozen, you can simply serve it over ice if that gives off too many summer vibes for you.
Just like there are ways to change up that recipe, there are plenty of other Christmas margarita variations you can make this season if you’d rather try something else.
Mistletoe Margarita (with pomegranate juice)
This version of a Mistletoe Margarita from Kayla’s Kitch and Fix calls for cranberry and lime juice, but also the addition of pomegranate juice, so it will taste different from the previous recipe. In fact, pomegranate juice appears to be the main flavor-enhancing ingredient, so make sure you like that flavor before making the recipe.
The result will be a dark-colored margarita, similar to the color of red wine or sangria. Once all shaken up and poured in your glass, you can top it with fresh cranberries and perhaps a sprig of mint or rosemary.
White Christmas Cranberry Margarita
If you’re dreaming of snowy weather for the holiday, this White Christmas Cranberry Margarita recipe from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us should get you in the spirit. The winter color of this margarita comes from white cranberry juice, but you’ll add lime juice, triple sec and tequila.
You can garnish the drink with rosemary and fresh cranberries if you wish, or make sugared cranberries and put them on a skewer. Like a traditional margarita, you can also rim your glass with a lime slice and dip it in salt.
White Christmas Margarita Punch
If you’ll be serving a crowd, you can even make this White Christmas Margarita Punch from How Sweet Eats, which serves six (or fewer if your guest are serious margarita fans). Along with traditional margarita ingredients like tequila and Grand Marnier, it also calls for coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut water and coconut rum. This makes it white like snow, but with a tropical flair that sounds perfect for daydreaming of the beach on a cold winter day.
You can still include some holiday garnishes, however, like rosemary or fresh cranberries. Or, if you want even more coconut flavoring, you can also add coconut extract. As a side note, since this recipe makes a large batch, it’s best to whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl instead of shaking them in a cocktail shaker.