This Christmas Margarita puts a festive spin on the classic marg with the vibrant flavor and color of pomegranate and the rich, toasted flavor of reposado tequila.
If you’re hosting a Christmas party, toasting with family, or simply enjoying a cozy night in, this cocktail is about to become a seasonal favorite.
Over the years I've perfected this recipe and added some suggestions for substituting ingredients to make it as easy as possible. So grab those shakers and get ready to mix up some holiday magic!
Christmas Margarita ingredients
At its core, this is a pomegranate Margarita with the added depth of flavor you get from an aged tequila. If you only have pomegranate juice or grenadine and not both, don’t despair. I’ve included notes below so that you can make a cheerful, rosy Christmas cocktail a few different ways, depending on what ingredients you have.
Reposado tequila
Tequila is mostly associated with summer cocktails and tropical drinks, but aged tequilas transition especially well to cooler weather. This cocktail is made with Corcel Tequila Reposado for its toasty flavors of nuts and spice.
While you can certainly use a blanco tequila (or silver tequila) instead, it won’t be as flavorful. The flavors from the barrel-aging add a lot of depth and pair beautifully with the berry-like flavor of pomegranate.
Pomegranate juice
100% pomegranate juice can be found at any grocery store and since we’ll only be using 1 oz (2 tbsp) you can make many drinks with just one small bottle. I recommend POM for its fresh flavor and beautiful color.
Real grenadine
This ingredient can be a little harder to locate in a grocery store, but it’s easy to find in liquor stores, online at places like Amazon, AND it’s very quick and easy to make at home! It’s important to choose real grenadine, which is made with pomegranates. Be aware that Rose’s Grenadine is artificially flavored and colored and doesn’t even use pomegranate flavor (it’s fake cherry flavor instead). Here I used True Grenadine Syrup from Pratt Standard Cocktail Co.
Fresh lime juice
Always use freshly squeezed lime juice when making margaritas. There's no substitution for fresh juice here.
Triple sec (orange liqueur)
The classic Margarita uses just three ingredients: tequila, lime juice, and triple sec. I recommend Cointreau for the best flavor. The combination of lime and orange gives the drink its characteristic citrus flavor. Here we need just a half ounce of triple sec because the grenadine and pomegranate juice will add plenty of sweetness.
I created this recipe back in 2020 in partnership with Spirit Hub to showcase some of the products in their Ultimate Home Bar Collection. You can read more about that over here.
Salted rim (optional)
Every Margarita is better with a pinch of salt. Salt boosts both the sweet and sour flavors, making it taste that much better. You can add a salted rim or simply add a pinch of salt to your cocktail shaker.
Even more holiday cocktails to enjoy:
- Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas) Tiki Cocktail
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Martini
- Cranberry Christmas Morning Mimosas
- Cranberry Campari Spritz
- Classic French 75 (Champagne Cocktail)
Why pomegranate juice AND grenadine?
Grenadine is a pomegranate syrup that is commonly made with pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, sugar, and either rose water or orange flower water. The resulting syrup has a complex, rich flavor with floral notes.
Combining grenadine with fresh pomegranate juice gives the cocktail a great mix of both rich and bright flavors. However, if you only have one or the other, you can still make a great Margarita. Jump to the recipe card below for how to tweak the recipe to work with what you have on hand.
Recipe substitutions
I’ve had a lot of questions over the years about substitutions for this recipe. The original recipe is the most flavorful, and my favorite, but here’s a breakdown of how to make a lovely pomegranate Christmas Margarita even if you’re missing an ingredient or want to use a different liqueur.
No pomegranate juice
If you don’t have pomegranate juice, you can simply omit that ingredient and make the recipe without it. The pomegranate juice has two roles. It dilutes the drink slightly, tempering the stronger flavors, and it also adds a lighter, brighter fruity flavor that highlights the citrus notes. Without it, you'll still have a well-balanced cocktail, it will just be a bit stronger and bolder.
Cranberry juice in place of pomegranate juice
Another option is to replace the pomegranate juice with cranberry juice. Just make sure it's sweetened cranberry juice like Ocean Spray cranberry juice cocktail. White cranberry juice can be used as well, although you won't get the same pop of color in your finished drink.
No grenadine
If you don’t have any grenadine, but you do have pomegranate juice, you could consider making a small batch of grenadine. If that’s not an option, simply increase the amount of triple sec to 1 ounce and keep all other ingredient measures the same. Learn How to Make Grenadine easily at home with just four ingredients.
Using other orange liqueurs
Other orange liqueurs, such as Grand Marnier or Gran Gala can add a whole lot of flavor to Margarita variations. You can use these liqueurs in place of triple sec, just keep in mind that they tend to have a higher ABV and may give the drink have a boozier flavor.
No triple sec
In the spirit of Tommy’s Margarita, you could replace the triple sec with agave syrup or even simple syrup, in a pinch. You’ll be missing the orange flavor that pairs so beautifully with pomegranate, but you’ll still have a very nice Christmas margarita.
How to make the cocktail
Measure, pour, shake! This is an easy cocktail that just requires a cocktail shaker and just a couple of minutes. Serve over ice or up in a Margarita glass.
I like to garnish with a fresh orange wheel and a sprig of either basil or mint, but it’s still delicious even if you don’t have access to fresh herbs. Basil and mint both pair really well with pomegranate, but a sprig of rosemary is another great garnish that’s perfect for the holiday season.
More Margaritas to try:
This post is sponsored by Spirit Hub. Learn more about how Spirit Hub brings craft spirits from independent distilleries to your doorstep here.
Christmas Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 oz reposado tequila I used Corcel Tequila
- 1 oz pomegranate juice
- 1 oz lime juice
- ½ oz grenadine I used Pratt Standard
- ½ oz triple sec
- pinch salt or salted rim optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it ¾ with ice.
- Shake until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with an orange slice, fresh basil (or mint), and pomegranate seeds.