This White Christmas Margarita is a delicious, festive, and perfect for the holidays. Quit dreaming of a white Christmas and make one today!
Need more cocktails for Christmas? Try my White Christmas Mimosa, if champagne is more your thing, or maybe my Grinch Mimosa for a fun, holiday twist on a classic. My Cranberry Gin and Tonic is another delicious and festive option. If you want a hot, big batch cocktail, try this Wassail recipe!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It's festive as heck. Red cranberries, green lime, and white margarita... could it be more perfect for Christmas?
It's easy to make. If you can shake a few ingredients up in a cocktail shaker (you can), then you can make this margarita.
It tastes great. This margarita is perfectly sweet and tart.
What is a White Christmas Margarita?
A White Christmas Margarita (alternately known as a Mistletoe Margarita) is a margarita that's made with white cranberry juice for that sweet-tart flavor and white color. Pair that with some red and green garnishes and you have a super festive drink that's perfect for the winter holiday season.
It's basically Christmas in a cup. Between the festive appearance and amazing flavor, this margarita is sure to wow you and your guests.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of good ingredients to make this fun Christmas margarita. No margarita mix needed! See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Salt and sugar: Use a mixture of salt and sugar (or just sugar or just salt, depending on your preference) to rim your glass.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed, please.
- White cranberry juice: If you want this to be a White Christmas marg, you gotta get your hands on some white cranberry juice.
- Orange liqueur: I used triple sec.
- Tequila: Use whatever blanco tequila that you prefer. It's sometimes also called silver or plata tequila. You want to use a clear tequila to preserve the white color of this drink.
- Garnishes: As always, garnishes are optional but highly recommended. A few fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary really drive home the seasonal nature of this cocktail.
What is the best tequila for margaritas?
In short: whatever you like best! Use something that you wouldn't mind sipping on its own, because the flavor of the tequila is going to come through in your margarita. There's also some evidence to suggest that cheaper (i.e., less well-made) liquors can contribute to worse hangovers.
But sometimes certain tequilas are better suited to specific drinks. Like in this Christmas margarita, for instance. Since we're making a White Christmas Margarita, you want to use a silver/blanco tequila (a clear tequila) to make sure that you aren't giving the drink any unwanted color. You want the final margarita to be as white as possible.
Substitutions or Variations
- Make it a frozen marg. Blend all of the ingredients with some ice for a frosty, frozen margarita.
- Use regular cranberry juice. It won't be a White Christmas margarita anymore, but it will be an equally delicious regular Cranberry Margarita.
- Make a big batch. Serving a crowd? You can make a bigger batch of this margarita by multiplying the amounts of ingredients by the number of drinks that you want to make. Combine the ingredients in and serve it all in a pitcher.
How to make a White Christmas Margarita?
Step 1. Pour lime juice into a cocktail shaker.
Step 2. Add white cranberry juice to the shaker.
Step 3. Add triple sec to the shaker.
Step 4. Pour tequila into the shaker.
Step 5. Add ice to the cocktail shaker, cap it, and shake until very cold. Strain it into a glass with ice that's rimmed with salt and sugar.
Step 6. Garnish your glass with fresh cranberries and a lime wedge.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Just multiply the amounts of ingredients by the number of drinks that you want to make. Combine all of the ingredients in and serve it out of a pitcher.
Yes. You can make this drink up to 3 days in advance. Make sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can make this recipe with regular (red) cranberry juice instead. It won't be a White Christmas Margarita, but it will still be a perfectly delicious Cranberry Margarita.
Use whatever white/silver/blanco tequila that you prefer. You want to make sure to use a clear tequila in this drink.
Other margarita recipes
In addition to the recipes below (just click on the photos!), this Holiday Margarita made with a Pomegranate Popsicle and White Christmas Mojito look like really delicious options! If you really wanna stick with a marg, try this Grapefruit Margarita!
More holiday cocktails
I'd love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below!
✨ Recipe
White Christmas Margarita
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar for rimming the glass
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt for rimming the glass
- ¾ ounce lime juice freshly squeezed
- 3 ounces white cranberry juice
- ¾ ounce triple sec
- 2 ounces blanco tequila
- fresh cranberries and lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and salt on a small plate. Set it aside.
- Add a little bit of water to another small plate. Turn your glass upside down and dip the rim into the water.
- Dip the moistened rim of the glass in the prepared sugar and salt, making sure to coat the rim evenly. Carefully add ice to the glass without dislodging the sugar/salt and set it aside.
- Add lime juice, white cranberry juice, triple sec, tequila, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Cap the shaker and shake until it is very cold (about 10 seconds).
- Strain the margarita into the prepared glass and garnish it with some fresh cranberries and a lime wedge.
Notes
- Make sure to use a white/silver/blanco tequila (i.e., a clear tequila) for this recipe
- If you can't find white cranberry juice at the grocery store, you can use a regular cranberry juice and make a Cranberry Margarita
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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