Christmas Margarita
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 21% ABV ∙
A Christmas Margarita is a shaken tequila sour built on reposado tequila, orange liqueur, falernum, lime, and cranberry juice, served up in a coupe. Tart lime opens it, cranberry adds a soft berry sweetness, and falernum's clove-and-ginger warmth lingers into a spiced, rounded finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Tequila reposado 45 mlTriple sec 20 mlFalernum liqueur 10 mlLime juice 20 mlCranberry juice 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail
- Garnish with an orange twist and a rosemary sprig
Tips
- Shake everything, bitters included, hard with fresh cubed ice for a full 12-15 seconds to properly dilute and chill before fine-straining into the chilled coupe.
- Measure the cranberry juice precisely at 15 ml — it is there for colour and a soft berry note, and a heavier pour pushes the drink sweet and buries the lime.
- Express the orange twist's oils over the drink's surface before dropping it in, then lightly clap or smack the rosemary sprig to release aroma prior to garnishing.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice only, as bottled juice throws off the balance against the falernum and triple sec.
History
The Christmas Margarita is a seasonal riff on the Margarita, whose own origin is disputed and generally dated to the late 1930s and 1940s. Rival claimants from Tijuana to Acapulco date its creation between 1936 and 1948, most historians trace it to the older Daisy family (margarita is Spanish for "daisy"), and the first known printed recipe under the name appeared in Esquire magazine in December 1953. The Christmas Margarita builds on this base by adding warming spiced and tart holiday notes, most often a spiced or berry element such as cranberry, to the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime formula, turning the classic into a festive, seasonal variation rather than reflecting a separately documented history of its own.
FAQ
What's in a Christmas Margarita?
Reposado tequila, orange liqueur (triple sec), falernum liqueur, fresh lime juice, and sweetened cranberry juice, shaken with a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters and served up in a coupe glass with an orange twist and a rosemary sprig. The cranberry and falernum give it a red hue and warm spice that set it apart from a standard Margarita.
What is the 3-2-1 rule for margaritas?
The 3-2-1 rule is a classic ratio guideline of 3 parts tequila, 2 parts orange liqueur, and 1 part lime juice, used as a quick way to balance a basic Margarita. This build is more layered than that ratio, adding falernum and cranberry juice alongside the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime to build its holiday character.
What type of tequila is best for a Christmas Margarita?
Reposado tequila is best, and it's what this recipe uses. Its light oak aging adds a rounder, slightly spiced note that complements the falernum and cranberry better than a sharper blanco would.
What is a Cadillac Margarita?
A Cadillac Margarita is a Margarita variation made with a premium tequila and topped or finished with a float of orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, giving it a richer, more citrus-forward finish than a standard Margarita. It's a different style from this cranberry-and-falernum build, though both are dressed-up takes on the classic three-ingredient Margarita.
Is a Christmas Margarita shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The citrus, sweetened cranberry juice, and bitters all need the aeration and quick chill of a hard shake to integrate properly before fine-straining up.
What glass is a Christmas Margarita served in?
A coupe glass, served up with no ice, garnished with an orange twist and a rosemary sprig.
