This Mistletoe Margarita recipe is sure to be one of your favorite margarita recipes! With reposado tequila, fresh lime juice, and a spiced cranberry agave syrup, this Christmas margarita recipe will be a huge hit at the holiday party! Try this merry Christmas Margarita for all your holiday celebrations!
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And if you want more ideas like this cranberry margarita for your holiday gatherings, try my 50 Vegan Desserts for Christmas, my Oat Milk Eggnog, and my 45 Best Cookies for Cookie Exchange Swaps!
Easy Mistletoe Margarita Recipe
Just in time for the start of the holiday season, this cranberry mistletoe margarita is so simple to make and it's sure to get you in the holiday spirit! I love Christmas cocktails, and I can't wait to make this for upcoming holiday parties and or just to wind down on a weekend amid the bustle of holiday time. If you're a fan of margaritas or tequila, you'll love this cranberry Christmas margarita any time of year! It's full of amazing holiday flavors, and so delicious!
What is a Mistletoe Margarita?
I'm not sure who first originated the term "mistletoe margarita" but it's a recipe that many cocktail and recipe creators have added their spin to. In general, they're usually traditional margarita recipes with the addition of cranberry juice. So while a typical margarita contains tequila, triple sec or orange liqueur, and lime juice, a "mistletoe margarita" adds cranberry juice as well to bring a little holiday flavor!
What is the difference between a Tommy margarita and a classic margarita?
My version is influenced by my brother Tony's cocktail knowledge, of course. He suggested I create a riff off of the classic Tommy's Margarita recipe, created by Julio Bermejo in the early 1990s at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco. The Tommy's and classic margarita recipes are similar, but the Tommy's version replaces the orange liqueur with agave syrup, creating a smoother, sweeter drink that's so delicious.
To add my twist to it, I decided to use fresh cranberries, orange peel, and whole spices to the agave syrup, infusing it with Christmas goodness and lots of amazing flavor! The result is a deliciously festive Christmas margarita recipe that's simple to make and SO good!
Easy Mistletoe Margarita Ingredients
- tequila - the original Tommy's recipe calls for tequila that is 100% agave, so make sure you get the good stuff. I also suggest you opt for tequila reposado, which is tequila that is aged 2-12 months in oak barrels. It's more flavorful and smoother than tequila blanco, and perfect in this easy Mistletoe Margarita! As far as tequila brands, I like Altos Reposado, Espolón Tequila Reposado, or Casamigos Reposado. To skip the alcohol, you can try replacing the tequila in this recipe with Ritual Zero-Proof Tequila alternative!
- fresh lime juice - depending on how many of these you're making, you may want to use a citrus juicer for your limes, or at least a handheld citrus squeezer!
- fresh cranberries - I love using whole cranberries for this cranberry mistletoe margarita! It provides a great cranberry flavor and they look beautiful as a garnish too! You can use frozen cranberries as well, or see below for a variation to make a White Christmas Margarita with white cranberry juice!
- agave nectar - this is the key ingredient in the Tommy's margarita recipe! Using agave nectar brings out the agave flavor in the tequila, and makes your mistletoe margarita smoother and sweeter. We'll be creating an agave simple syrup with our agave nectar and some delicious holiday flavors!
- orange peel - cranberry and orange are a perfect combination, and using a bit of orange peel gives this merry mistletoe margarita a hint of that traditional margarita flavor!
- cinnamon stick - to infuse the agave nectar in these cranberry margaritas with that bold cinnamon flavor!
- whole cloves - nothing is more christmasy than the combination of cranberry, orange, and cloves!
Equipment
To make your spiced cranberry agave syrup, you'll want to grab a small saucepan and a fine-mesh sieve. Then, for this Christmas mistletoe margarita itself, you'll want a cocktail shaker and some nice Christmas margarita glasses!
White Christmas Margarita Variation
You can turn this Christmas Mistletoe Margarita into a White Christmas Margarita by swapping in ¾ cup white cranberry juice for the fresh cranberries! Then just simmer the syrup mixture a little longer so that the white cranberry juice can reduce by half.
You can also garnish your festive snow margarita with coarse salt or white sanding sugar for an even snowier look!
Can you substitute mezcal for tequila in a margarita?
Absolutely! Give your Christmas margarita recipe a more complex, smoky flavor with your favorite mezcal reposado!
Christmas Frozen Margarita Variation
You can make this delicious mistletoe margarita on the rocks, but if you prefer a frozen treat, try this twist and make a Christmas frozen margarita! Prepare the cocktail as in the recipe card below, but instead of shaking it with ice, try tossing it all in your blender and blending until smooth. It's the perfect way to make this mistletoe margarita recipe even better!
Tips and F.A.Q.
To make this festive cocktail in advance, make the cranberry agave syrup up to 5 days in advance and store in the fridge. Then, on the day of, juice your limes fresh so that they'll have the most bright citrus flavor!
Absolutely! You can multiply the recipe by 6 to make a pitcher (12 servings)! Just use 3 cups of cranberries, 3 cups of agave nectar, 3 cups of water, 3 cinnamon sticks and 6 cloves to make the syrup. Then to make your pitcher of margarita, mix together 3 cups of tequila, 1½ cups of fresh lime juice, and 1½ cups of your cranberry agave syrup. If serving later, store in the fridge and serve within 6 hours. Add ice just before serving!
Sure! You can use an agave-based non-alcoholic tequila alternative like Ritual or Arkay, of just substitute club soda for the tequila!
I include the instructions for sugared cranberries in my Christmas Charcuterie Board post -- they work for both cranberries and rosemary sprigs! Perfect as a garnish for this easy mistletoe margarita! You can also dip the rims of your glasses in some of the extra cranberry agave syrup and then in coarse sugar to make a sugar rim for your easy mistletoe margaritas!
The most popular margarita flavor is the classic lime margarita -- can't go wrong with a classic! I hope that with its lime, cranberry, and spiced orange flavors, this mistletoe margarita recipe will be your new favorite flavor!
You'll love my new Peppermint Espresso Martini, my Creamy Espresso Martini with Baileys, and my Oat Milk Eggnog! Or for a delicious holiday coffee drink, try my Iced Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte (Starbucks Copycat)! And be sure to check out my list of the best Christmas Gin Cocktails to get the party started!
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Holiday Ideas You'll Love!
- Brie and Cranberry Tart
- Quirky Baking Gifts for the Bakers on your List
- Eggnog Bread Pudding with Brown Butter Rum Sauce
- Christmas Charcuterie Board
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
- cocktail shaker
- vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- ½ cup (50 g) cranberries - fresh or frozen
- ½ cup (110 g) agave nectar - light or amber
- ½ cup (118 ml) water
- 2-3 strips orange peel
- 1 cinnamon stick - or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 whole cloves - optional
- 4 oz (113 ml) tequila reposado - ½ cup
- 2 oz (57 ml) lime juice - ¼ cup
- ice
- Cinnamon sticks, cranberries, rosemary sprigs, lime and orange slices - optional; for garnish
Instructions
Prepare Cranberry Agave Syrup
- Add cranberries, water, agave nectar, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and cloves to a small saucepan and stir.½ cup cranberries, ½ cup agave nectar, ½ cup water, 2-3 strips orange peel, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves
- Bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, about 10-15 minutes or until cranberries have begun to break down.
- Transfer to a heatproof container, pouring through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out solids. Set aside to cool.
Prepare Margaritas
- Add tequila, lime juice, and 2 ounces (¼ cup) of cranberry-agave syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and cover.4 oz tequila reposado, 2 oz lime juice
- Shake 15-30 seconds and then pour into two chilled glasses filled with ice. Garnish as desired, and enjoy!ice, Cinnamon sticks, cranberries, rosemary sprigs, lime and orange slices
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin this Christmas mistletoe margarita for later!
Last Updated on August 17, 2023 by Chenée Lewis
Kim
This may be geared for the holidays, but I enjoy it all year long!
Chenée Lewis
You and me both! I love the cranberry flavor!
Casey
Such a pretty presentation and a tasty margarita, too! Loved it!
Chenée Lewis
Fantastic! Thanks!
Dana Sandonato
Love love love this festive marg! Festive cocktails are my favorite. Bookmarking so I can make it again come the holidays 🙂
Janessa
This looks like the perfect cocktail for the holiday season! Bookmarking it.