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A festive cranberry drink with silver tequila and triple sec, this red cocktail features ice, cranberries, a sugared rim, and is garnished with a flower and star anise—perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations.
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5 from 4 votes

Holiday Cranberry Margarita

This cocktail combines tart cranberry juice, silver tequila, triple sec, lime and grenadine into something vibrant and festive. Simple to shake but impressive to serve, it’s dressed up with holiday garnishes like cranberries or star anise. Drink it cold, sip slowly and enjoy the cheer in every glass.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drink
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cocktail
Servings: 1 6 ounce serving
Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 Ounces cranberry juice cocktail
  • 1 ½ Ounces silver tequila such as El Mayor Tequila Blanco
  • 1 Ounce triple sec such as DeKuyper Triple Sec
  • ½ Ounce lime juice freshly squeezed
  • ½ to 1 Tablespoon grenadine
  • ice

For the Salty Rim

  • 1 Wedge lime
  • coarse salt

Optional Garnishes

Instructions

  • Swipe a lime wedge around the rim of your glass. Holding the glass at a 45-degree angle, dip the dampened rim of the glass into the coarse salt, rotating it until salt covers the entire rim.
  • Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with ice. Add cranberry juice, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and grenadine. Shake to combine until the shaker feels ice cold (10 to 20 seconds).
  • Pour into rimmed glass.
  • Garnish with fresh cranberries, an edible fall flower (I used a Chrysanthemum), and/or a star anise pod, if desired.

Notes

Chill the glass before serving: This keeps the drink cold longer.
Use fresh lime juice: It brightens the cocktail more than bottled juice.
Don’t overdo the grenadine: Start with half a tablespoon and adjust sweetness to taste.
Shake vigorously: This ensures proper mixing and colder serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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