This festive cranberry margarita recipe is perfect for any celebration. Cranberries, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice come together to create a delicious drink that's just as at home by the pool as it is by the fire. It's a delicious, refreshing cocktail that's perfect for any occasion.
Whenever I go to a party, I always look for margaritas. Whenever I throw a party, I always have margaritas on hand. They're a classic cocktail that I just love. It's one that everyone knows, and it's one that is always a welcome addition to any party.
A traditional margarita is the perfect drink for lounging by the pool or for any summer party. A cranberry margarita like this one is also the perfect cocktail for a party in cool weather or a holiday get-together.
You can really serve them year-round, which is why I always make sure I have everything I need to make them.
I've made all kinds of margaritas over the years, and they've all been big hits. A few years ago, when I came across this delightful cranberry margarita, I knew I had to add it to my list of go-to cocktails.
We were at a Christmas party, and a friend of mine asked me what I'd like to drink. True to form, I requested a margarita. What she came back with was a margarita much like the one I'll be sharing with you today.
The flavor of tequila and cranberry blended perfectly, and I was instantly a fan.
Now, with summer drawing to a close and fall on the way, I wanted to share this delicious fresh or frozen cranberry margarita cocktail with all of you. We'll soon be into the holiday season, and this is the perfect drink to serve to all of your guests!

The History of Margaritas
The history of the margarita is one that's shrouded in mystery. There are many stories surrounding the origin of the classic cocktail, but one thing remains true throughout all variations on the theme. It was born out of the prohibition movement.
The margarita is related to a popular Mexican cocktail called the Daisy. In fact, Margarita is Spanish for daisy. Most food and spirits historians agree that the margarita was the result of Americans discovering the Daisy after traveling south of the border for alcohol while prohibition was still in effect.
One popular story regarding the creation of the margarita is that it was invented in 1938 by Carlos “Danny ” Herrera at his restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, located just about halfway between Tijuana and Rosarito.
The legend goes that Danny created the drink for former Ziegfeld dancer, Marjorie King, who was allergic to almost all spirits besides tequila.
There are several other stories of the first creation of the margarita floating around out there, as well, but while we don’t know for sure who made the cocktail, we do know that the other stories are false.
That’s because they all claim to have first made the cocktail at some point after first mentions of the cocktail were made in recipe books, and in one case, after ad campaigns for the margarita were already in print.
Whoever made it and where ever they made it, one thing’s for sure. The margarita is one of the most popular cocktails out there for a very good reason. It’s delicious!
Cranberry Margarita
This delicious holiday variation on the margarita takes everything we love about that classic cocktail and infuses it with the classic holiday flavor of cranberries.
It's an invigorating cocktail that packs a punch but goes down smooth, and the cranberries found in it give it a festive, holiday feel that makes it the perfect drink to serve at almost any special event throughout the cold months when the holidays roll around.
White tequila, citrusy triple sec, and the flavor of cranberries make for a cocktail that has that kick we all love about this cocktail and gives us those great holiday flavors, as well.
The citrus and the cranberries pair incredibly well, and they bring to mind memories and flavors of holiday gatherings come and gone.
The tequila is, well, tequila, and it gives it that great punch that is always so welcome in any good margarita recipe. Especially fresh or frozen cranberry margaritas if I don't say so myself! 😉
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make this tasty cocktail. Unlike many over the top cocktail drinks, this one is a very straightforward one, relying on simple flavors to make a big statement. You won't find any simple syrups that you have to make on the stove here.
No way. You'll just need delicious spirits, cranberries, a little salt, a little sugar maybe with some fresh lime and rosemary. It's an incredibly easy ingredient list, and you can find everything you need right at your local grocery store.
- 6 ounces white tequila
- 4 ounces triple sec liqueur
- 1 lime, juiced, plus more for garnish
- 1⁄2 cup thawed cranberries, plus more for garnish (fresh cranberries work great too!)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
- Margarita salt, kosher salt or coarse sea salt
- sugar, if desired
- Lime zest
See? All of the ingredients here are so simple. You don't need anything special at all. It's just simple ingredients for a simply delicious cocktail.
best margarita rim salt
Our homemade recipe for margarita rim salt is the best but our favorite store bought margarita rim salt by far is Jose Cuervo Margarita Salt and I don't get paid to say it. Love the container design, perfect for adding the salt to the rim and juicing a lime too.
That being said, other brands will work and work well but I encourage you to make margarita rim salt yourself.
margarita salt rim recipe
Our quick margarita salt rim recipe includes ¼ cup of kosher or sea salt, DO NOT USE REGULAR TABLE SALT, ¼ cup of sugar and the zest of three limes. Store inside an air tight container for about a month.
Simply zest limes using your grater with the smallest holes on top of a cutting board. Sprinkle zest across cutting board and sprinkle your kosher or sea salt and sugar all over top of the zest.
Using a rolling pin, crush and mix all of the salt, sugar and zest together. Making sure to break up any larger pieces.
Allow mixture to air on top of cutting board for about an hour, adjusting periodically, before storing in an air tight container at room temperature for up to a month.
That being said, you have the option of making your margarita salt rim out of simply sea salt or kosher salt or salt and sugar together. Both work beautifully. I use only salt frequently myself if I have run out of my prepared lime salt but I have never only used sugar to rim our margarita glasses.
how to make margarita salt rim
You only require rimmed plate, larger than the mouth of your glass with a half inch layer of margarita salt on it, and at least one fresh lime, is all you need to make the best margarita salt rim.
Grab your glass, chilled or not, and place it at your workstation. Slice a lime in half, both halves in half again and each half cut one more time. This way you end up with 8 slices of lime.
Make a cut half way through the lime in the middle of each slice. Press cut around edge of mouth of glass until wet and immediately press into salted plate. Adjusting glass slightly to make sure salt sticks to each glass rim.
Alternatively, if you only want salt on the outside of each glass, lean the edge of the glass into the salt and rotate glass so all sides or the entire outer glass edge is covered with salt. Exactly where the fresh lime juice was squeezed on.
It depends how much salt you enjoy with your margaritas. Only you know!
If you're making a lot of margaritas you might want to purchase a margarita salt rimmer to assist you in preparing your drinks. Makes things so much easier.
Making the Cranberry Margarita
Making this delicious festive margarita is just as easy as the ingredient list. It only takes a few minutes, and you'll have yourself one of the tastiest margaritas you've ever had.
- In a cocktail shaker or jar, place the frozen cranberries and tequila together. Using the back of a wooden spoon on or muddler, gently crush the cranberries to release their juice and color.
- Add in the Triple Sec liqueur and fresh lime juice. Cover and shake vigorously.
- Rim two glasses with the margarita salt and fill with ice to the top.
- Pour the margarita mixture over the ice and garnish with lime wheels, fresh rosemary sprigs, and additional cranberries. Enjoy!
Nothing to it! A few minutes and a little shaking, and you'll have a wonderfully festively flavored and colored cocktail perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and almost any special occasion. Because let's face it, margaritas never go out of style!
Tips
This cocktail recipe is extremely easy. In fact, there's so little to it, there aren't many tips at all to share with you today. You'd have to actually try to ruin it to get it wrong. That's the best recipe ever, in my opinion!
There is one tip to help you make the most of this cocktail. It's an easy one, but it makes such a big difference.
Mashing Gently but Thoroughly
When mashing your cranberries, you want to be gentle, but you also want to be thorough. Really mash them up to get all that cranberry goodness out of them. A simple squish won't do the job.
You have to really mash them up to get the most flavor out of them. That's important because the cranberries are absolutely key in this margarita.
Serving the Cranberry Margarita
This cranberry margarita is perfectly finished off by a salt rim on the glass and a garnish of rosemary and cranberries on a toothpick. That's all you need for a delicious cocktail that everyone loves. Serve it up with appetizers or on its own, and everyone will be coming back for another.
This is a drink meant to be sipped slowly, so it's the perfect thing to serve while people wait on their meal or after the meal is done.
Try This Festive Cranberry Margarita for Yourself
This fresh or frozen cranberry margarita is the perfect refreshment to serve at any holiday get-together. The classic citrus and cranberry flavors you'll find in this cocktail make it perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and fall and winter parties, in general.
It's incredibly simple to make, and it's always a big hit at any party. The next time you're playing host, try serving up some of these cranberry margaritas to your guests. I guarantee that they'll be a huge hit.
Cranberry Margarita Video


Cranberry Margarita
Equipment
- margarita glasses
- muddler or wooden spoon or masher
Ingredients
- 6 ounces white tequila
- 4 ounces triple sec liqueur
- 1 lime juiced plus more for garnish, if desired
- ½ cup thawed cranberries plus more for garnish
- fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
- margarita salt or coarse sea salt
Margarita Salt Rim Recipe
- ¼ cup kosher or sea salt DO NOT USE TABLE SALT
- ¼ cup sugar if desired
- 2 tablespoons lime zest from 3 limes
Instructions
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
- In a cocktail shaker or jar, place the tequila.
- Next, add frozen or defrosted cranberries.
- Using the back of a wooden spoon on or muddler, gently crush the cranberries to release their juice and color.
- Add to shaker.
- Add in the Triple Sec liqueur.
- Add lime. Cover and shake vigorously.
- Rim two glasses with the margarita salt and fill with ice to the top.
- Pour the margarita mixture over the ice.
- Until almost filled to the rim.
- Garnish with lime wheels, fresh rosemary sprigs and additional cranberries. Enjoy every sip!
Margarita Salt Rim Recipe
- Zest limes using your grater with the smallest holes on top of a cutting board.
- Sprinkle zest across cutting board and sprinkle your kosher or sea salt and sugar, if using, all over top of the zest.
- Using a rolling pin, crush and mix all of the salt, sugar and zest together. Making sure to break up any larger pieces.
- Allow mixture to air on top of cutting board for about an hour, adjusting periodically, before storing in an air tight, resealable container at room temperature for up to a month.
- That being said, you have the option of making your margarita salt rim out of simply sea salt or kosher salt or sea or kosher salt and sugar together. Both will work beautifully. I use only salt frequently on my rim if I have run out of my prepared lime salt but I have never only used sugar to rim our margarita glasses. EVER.
how to make margarita salt rim
- Grab your glass, chilled or not, and place it at your workstation.
- Slice a lime in half, both halves in half again and each half cut one more time. This way you end up with 8 slices of lime.
- Make a cut half way through the lime in the middle of each slice.
- Press cut down around edge of mouth of glass until wet and immediately press into salted plate. Adjusting glass slightly to make sure salt sticks to each glass rim.
- Alternatively, if you only want salt on the outside of each glass, lean the edge of the glass into the salt and rotate glass so all sides or the entire outer glass edge is covered with salt or salt mixture. Exactly where the fresh lime juice was squeezed on.
Nutrition

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