Blood Orange Margarita

This blood orange margarita is the perfect way to use this vibrant fruit! Add tequila and lime for a stunning citrus cocktail.

When it’s blood orange season, we buy up all of this vibrant citrus we can find! Its vibrant red orange color and sweet flavor make it this fruit so special. And what better way to use it in recipes than…a margarita? Introducing…the best Blood Orange Margarita! This tasty citrus makes a brilliant bright orange red drink that’s perfectly balanced and sweet tart. In all of our 15+ margarita recipes, this one’s a favorite. Here’s how to make it!

What’s in a blood orange margarita?

The margarita is one of the most iconic classic cocktails there is! Invented in the 1930’s, it’s part of the International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, meaning there’s an “official” definition of a margarita: lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila. For a blood orange spin on this classic drink, we added blood orange juice. The juice is so sweet, you don’t even need any simple syrup to balance it. Here’s what you’ll need for this drink:

• Blood orange juice, fresh squeezed preferrable
• Tequila (use blanco or reposado)
• Cointreau
• Fresh lime juice
• Simple syrup or maple syrup

Use fresh squeezed blood orange juice…or bottled in a pinch

These days you can find bottled blood orange juice any time of the year. Of course, this drink is at its best with pure fresh squeezed blood orange juice from real oranges. But if you’ve got your heart set on making this out of season, bottled works too! Make sure the juice is 100% juice and unsweetened. (You can actually squeeze juice from any type of orange here, including navels, clementines and satsumas.)

How to make a blood orange margarita: single drink

All you’ve got to do for a blood orange margarita is make a salt rim, shake up the ingredients, and serve! Salt enhances the sweet and sour flavors in the drink. We highly recommend it for any margarita recipe, though if you’re feeling lazy you can go without it. If you have it, it’s fun to use Himalayan pink salt if you have it: it has as nice look. Here’s what to do:

1. Rim the glass with salt. Cut a notch in a lime wedge and slide that around the edge of the drink instead of wetting your finger. It’s quick and easy (and more hygienic!).
2. Shake in a cocktail shaker. Shake the ingredients together with ice in a cocktail shaker (or use a mason jar with a lid).
3. Strain into a glass and add ice and garnishes. Strain it into a glass and serve with ice! If you’d like, garnish with a blood orange slice. Using clear ice is great for an impressive look: it’s crystal clear artisan-style ice you can make at home.

Or, make a margarita pitcher!

Are you serving a crowd with this blood orange margarita? Then make a pitcher instead! It takes quite a while to shake up single drinks for a crowd. Keep in mind, though, that shaking drinks with ice makes them cold and dilutes them. With the pitcher, you’ll need to add a specific amount of ice to dilute the drinks to the right level. For a blood orange margarita pitcher, add:

• 1 ½ cups tequila
• 2 cups blood orange juice
• ¾ cup Cointreau
• ¾ cup lime juice
• 3 handfuls ice

Add the ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses and serve!

Best tequila for a blood orange margarita

What’s the best tequila to use for a blood orange margarita? Keep in mind that the quality of alcohol is typically directly related to the price. Look for a mid-priced tequila if you can: the drink is only as good as the tequila! In terms of type, keep the following in mind:

• The best tequila for a margarita? Tequila reposado. Tequila reposado is aged tequila, which is stored from 2 to 12 months. It has a nuanced flavor, with notes of oak and vanilla.
• You can also use tequila blanco. Blanco is unaged tequila, and it works too! It has a more straightforward flavor with that signature burn.

More blood orange cocktails & drinks

Love making blood orange recipes and drinks? Us too! Here are a few more blood orange cocktails for this unique citrus:

• Blood and Sand A unique classic cocktail made with Scotch and cherry liqueur!
• Garibaldi An Italian cocktail with only 2 ingredients: Campari and orange juice.
• Italian Margarita Another margarita, this one with amaretto and blood orange juice!
• Blood Orange Martini A zingy vodka martini…blood orange style.
• Blood Orange G&T Cocktail This refreshing cocktail is bubbly perfection.

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Blood Orange Gin & Tonic

02

Blood Orange Martini

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Blood and Sand Cocktail

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Italian Margarita

When to serve a blood orange margarita

The blood orange margarita is a zingy and refreshing cocktail! It works as a:

• Happy hour drink
• Dinner party drink
• Christmas cocktail or winter drink
• Valentine’s Day drink
• Girls night or bachelorette party
• Cocktail hour drink

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