Cranberry Margaritas

Cranberry Margaritas are sweet, tart, and refreshing. Lime juice adds freshness and flavor, while Grand Marnier helps each sip slide down smoothly. These margaritas are perfect for serving at Thanksgiving or Christmas! 

All About This Holiday Margarita Recipe 

This cranberry margarita recipe is a festive spin on the classic “sour” cocktail! 

Margaritas are traditionally made with tequila, lime juice, and Triple Sec or Cointreau. A salted rim often finishes off the cocktail. 

The margarita recipe I’m sharing in this post is infused with cranberry flavor two ways: 100% cranberry juice and cranberry simple syrup. When combined with the classic blend of tequila, Cointreau (a type of triple sec), and lime, you get a nuanced cranberry margarita that’s perfectly sweet and tart. 

As written, this recipe makes two drinks, but you can easily scale the recipe up to serve pitcher cranberry margaritas at your next holiday gathering. This is the perfect drink for Thanksgiving and Christmas parties, dinners, and potlucks! 

Love margaritas? I also have recipes for Pineapple Margaritas, Lemon Margaritas, Watermelon Margaritas, Passion Fruit Margaritas, and Strawberry Basil Margaritas. They’re delicious no matter the weather or season! 

Tools You’ll Need

You’ll need to have the following bar tools on hand to make the holiday margs: 

• Small Saucer — Is filled with flaky salt to create the salted rims. 
• Shaker — Since this recipe makes just two drinks, I prefer measuring the ingredients directly into the shaker. 
• Strainer for Shaker — Check that your cocktail shaker came with a strainer; you’ll be straining the margarita mixture into the glasses. 
• Jigger — Essential for measuring cocktail ingredients. 
• Citrus Juicer — Helps to squeeze the most juice from your limes. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Whether you’ll be serving just two people or a large group, you’ll need the following ingredients to prepare the margaritas with cranberry juice: 

• Flaky Salt
• Ice
• Tequila
• 100% Pure Cranberry Juice 
• Grand Marnier or Cointreau (see notes below)
• Lime Juice 
• Cranberry Simple Syrup (made with fresh cranberries, water, and sugar)

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Ingredient Notes

• Flaky Salt — Don’t like a salted rim on your margarita? Rim it with lime sugar instead! Follow my instructions for making lemon sugar, but use lime instead. 
• Tequila — Use a Blanco or Reposado tequila to make these margaritas; they have a mellower, “purer” flavor than Añejo tequila. My favorite tequila brands include Jose Cuervo, Patrón, Don Juilo, and Herradura. 
• Cranberry Juice — Must be 100% cranberry juice, NOT cranberry juice cocktail. 100% cranberry juice is very tart since it contains no added sugar. 
• Grand Marnier or Cointreau — I prefer using Grand Marnier in these margaritas; it’s much smoother and complements the tart cranberry and lime better.  
• Cranberry Simple Syrup — If you don’t want to make the scratch simple syrup, you can also use plain simple syrup or a 1:1 ratio of water and agave syrup. Note that the cranberry flavor won’t be as pronounced. Here is my recipe for cranberry simple syrup.

Garnish Ideas

We typically garnish our cranberry margs with one or more of the following: 

• Fresh Lime 
• Sugared Cranberries
• Lime Twist — Follow the instructions on my lemon twist tutorial to create a lime twist.  
• Dried Lime Slices — Can be made using the same method for making dried orange slices. 

Cranberry Margarita FAQs

Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Can I make pitcher cranberry margaritas? 

​​Yes! You can make a big batch of cranberry margaritas up to 48 hours in advance. Simply measure the cocktail ingredients in ratios instead of ounces or tablespoons. 

1. To a pitcher, add the tequila, cranberry juice, Grand Marnier, lime juice, and cranberry simple syrup. 
2. Cover and chill until ready to use. Do NOT add the ice to the pitcher! 
3. When ready to serve, add ice to the individual glasses and pour the cranberry marg mixture over the ice. 

Are these margaritas shaken or stirred? 

Margaritas are always shaken! A cocktail shaker is an essential bar tool to keep on hand if you love margaritas like we do. 

Are margaritas served over ice? 

Yes, serve the margaritas over regular ice cubes. Do not use crushed ice or else your margarita will quickly become watered down. 

What glasses should margaritas be served in? 

Margaritas are usually served in low ball glasses or margarita glasses. However, these cranberry and lime margaritas are not traditional in the slightest, so don’t feel like your glassware has to be! 

Can the tequila be substituted? 

If you don’t have tequila stocked in your home bar, you may replace it with an equal amount of mezcal. Mezcal is another agave-based spirit — in fact, all tequilas are mezcal, but not all mezcals are classified as tequila. 

If using mezcal, opt for one that’s unaged (“Joven”). Unaged mezcals have a purer flavor, which makes them better suited for this margarita recipe. 

Can I make this recipe as a mocktail? 

Of course! If you’re sober-curious or are simply avoiding alcohol this holiday season, simply replace the tequila and Grand Marnier with non-alcoholic alternatives. 

• Alcohol-free mezcal: Monday, Escape, Fluère
• Alcohol-free orange liqueur: Lyre’s

Safety tip: Depending on the brand you use, some alcohol-removed spirits may still contain trace amounts of alcohol. Check before using if you’re pregnant, serving the mocktails to kids, etc.

What to Serve with Cranberry Margaritas

These holiday margaritas pair perfectly with party appetizers and nibbles such as: 

• Antipasto Wreath Appetizer 
• Olive Puff Pastry Bites
• Rosemary Bar Nuts
• Pear, Walnut, and Endive Appetizer Bites
• Cinnamon Vanilla Glazed Walnuts
• Chocolate-Covered Nuts
• Dark Chocolate Pretzel Bark

Try Making Cranberry Lime Margaritas! 

Next time you’re looking for a festive cocktail that’s made with cranberry juice, give this cranberry lime margarita recipe a try!

Did you love the sweet-tart flavor of this drink? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see a photo of your cranberry Christmas margaritas!

More Holiday Cocktail Recipes: 

This Cranberry Rosemary Shrub Cocktail is the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas cocktail! A homemade cranberry shrub with hints of black pepper, rosemary, and cinnamon is combined with bourbon and seltzer for a festive and colorful drink.

This Cranberry Orange Whiskey Sour is tart and boozy with a hint of sweetness and a flavor profile that is perfect for the winter holidays. You’ll love this holiday spin on the classic whiskey sour!

Get into the autumnal spirit by making yourself a Pumpkin Martini! This fall martini is flavored with pumpkin 2 ways. Garnish it with whipped cream for a creamy pumpkin pie martini, or leave it off for a lighter fall cocktail.

Boozy, rich, and creamy, this Peppermint White Russian is the perfect cocktail to serve around the holidays! Peppermint schnapps infuses the drink with festive flavor, and the candy cane garnish is optional but highly recommended for added holiday cheer! 

Get into the holiday spirit by making yourself a Gingerbread Martini! This Christmas martini is made with Baileys and vodka, and it tastes just like gingerbread!  

Sweet, creamy, and spiced, this Spiked Eggnog is the perfect holiday drink! It’s easier than you think to make your own eggnog. Read on to learn how to make eggnog with alcohol, how to safely use raw eggs in eggnog, and more.

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

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