Pomegranate Margarita

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

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

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:

• Buy bottled 100% pomegranate juice. Make sure the pomegranate juice is unsweetened. If all you can find is sweetened, reduce the simple syrup (see the recipe below).
• Make juice with the whole fruit, a jar and a cocktail muddler or potato masher. First, cut and seed the pomegranate: it’s no small task, but it’s easy and mess free using that method. Then place the seeds in a jar and smash them with a cocktail muddler or potato masher. Strain it and you’ve got some seriously delicious juice! Go to How to Make Pomegranate Juice.

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 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! We like garnishing with pomegranate seeds for look: but keep in mind they’ll sink to the bottom of the glass.

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.

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:

• Try a Pomegranate Martini for the perfect mix of pomegranate and vodka
• Opt for a bubbly Pomegranate Mimosa
• Go for a sweet tart Pomegranate Cosmo

When to serve a pomegranate margarita

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

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

Print