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This pomegranate margarita recipe is perfection! Sweet tart pomegranate juice makes cocktail magic with tequila and lime.

Pomegranate margarita

There’s nothing we love more than a good margarita variation…and here’s a new spin that’s got us hooked. Try the Pomegranate Margarita! Sweet tart pomegranate juice pairs perfectly with tequila and lime, balanced with the orange perfume of Cointreau. You can use either pomegranate juice or fresh-squeezed juice from the fruit, making it perfect for whatever you have on hand. It’s a great winter cocktail for when pomegranate is in season: but honestly: we drink it anytime.

What’s in a pomegranate margarita?

The margarita is one of the most iconic classic cocktails: invented in the 1930’s, it’s still one of the most popular in the world today. It’s on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, meaning there’s an “official” definition of a margarita: lime juice, Cointreau, and tequila.

For this spin, pomegranate and tequila take center stage! We took the classic definition and added pomegranate juice and a little simple syrup to balance it out. Here are the ingredients you need for this pomegranate margarita recipe:

  • Pomegranate juice (bottled or fresh squeezed)
  • Tequila (use blanco or reposado)
  • Cointreau
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Simple syrup or maple syrup
Pomegranate margarita

Buy bottled pomegranate juice or make homemade

This pomegranate margarita works with whatever you have time for: bottled juice from the store, or fresh squeezed juice from an actual pomegranate. Which is better? Fresh squeezed juice has a brighter color, and a sweeter, more intense flavor: so it makes for a tastier cocktail. But bottled pomegranate juice is quicker and easier: and it still tastes incredible. We like both options depending on the occasion! Here are a few things to note:

How to make a pomegranate margarita: single drink

The pomegranate margarita recipe is easy to mix up: whether you’re making a single serving or a pitcher. For pitcher style, keep reading! Here’s the basic method for any margarita recipe:

  1. Rim the glass with salt. Salt enhances the sweet and sour flavors in the drink! For the pomegranate margarita it’s fun to use Himalayan pink salt if you have it: it has as nice look. It’s easiest to 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 shakerShake 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! We like garnishing with pomegranate seeds for look: but keep in mind they’ll sink to the bottom of the glass.
Pomegranate margarita

Or, make a margarita pitcher!

When you’re serving a crowd, it’s much easier to make up a big drink pitcher. It takes a while to shake up the drinks individually. Shaking drinks with ice makes them cold and dilutes them, which is important. With the pitcher, you’ll add a specific amount of ice to the entire pitcher so that it can dilute the drinks to the right level. For a pomegranate margarita pitcher, add:

  • 1 ½ cups tequila
  • 1 ½ cups 100% pomegranate juice
  • 1 cup Cointreau
  • ½ cup lime juice
  • ½ cup simple syrup or maple syrup (omit if using sweetened juice and add to taste)

Add 3 handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses and serve!

Maple syrup can substitute simple syrup

If you love using natural sweeteners, you can use maple syrup as a substitute for simple syrup! Don’t worry: it won’t taste like maple. Maple syrup imparts a nuanced sweetness to cocktails, without a maple flavor. (For something to taste like maple, you need maple extract.) In fact, we often like maple syrup better than the clean, straightforward flavor of simple syrup. It’s something we always have on hand in our refrigerator, so if you’re like us: feel free to substitute it here.

Pomegranate margarita

More pomegranate cocktails

Love pomegranate in your alcoholic drinks? Us too! Here are a few more pomegranate cocktails you might enjoy outside of the pomegranate tequila combo:

When to serve a pomegranate margarita

The pomegranate margarita is a bright red drink that’s festive and fun! It works as a:

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Pomegranate margarita

Pomegranate Margarita


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

This pomegranate margarita recipe is perfection! Sweet tart pomegranate juice makes cocktail magic with tequila and lime.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) 100% pomegranate juice (purchased or fresh squeezed)*
  • 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) tequila blanco or reposado**
  • 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Cointreau
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lime
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) simple syrup or maple syrup
  • Kosher salt or Himalayan pink salt, for the rim (optional)
  • Ice, for serving (try clear ice)
  • For the garnish: pomegranate seeds, orange wedge or lime wedge

Instructions

  1. Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of salt (or for a festive look, use Margarita Salt).
  2. Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake until cold. Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice, garnish with pomegranate seeds and an orange wedge or lime wedge. 

Notes

*If all you can find is sweetened pomegranate juice, use half the simple syrup quantity (or add to taste). 

**To make a pitcher of 8 servings, mix together in a pitcher: 1 ½ cups tequila, 1 ½ cups 100% unsweetened pomegranate juice, 1 cup Cointreau, ½ cup lime juice, and ½ cup simple syrup. Add three handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses. 

  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shaken
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Pomegranate margarita

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

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