“Mistletoe Margaritas” Christmas Margarita Recipe
Get into the holiday spirit with our Christmas Margaritas, made with cranberry juice, for a festive twist on the classic margarita!
Christmas Margaritas aka “Mistletoe Margaritas”
Infuse your holiday celebrations with the vibrant flavors and colors of the season with this fabulously festive Christmas Margarita recipe! This delightful drink blends the tartness of cranberries with the smooth warmth of tequila, creating a delightful and refreshing twist on the classic margarita.
December is here, which means it is Christmas party season! When you think of Christmas cocktails, a margarita isn’t necessarily the first drink that comes to mind. Unless you are a margarita fan like me!
Our Thanksgiving margaritas were a HUGE hit, so of course we knew we needed a Christmas margarita recipe too!
This Christmas margarita recipe turned out to be one of our all-time most popular holiday cocktails on the blog and it’s easy to see why:
- Simple to make, with ingredients readily available at the grocery store.
- No special equipment needed…just a drink pitcher!
- They’re a beautiful festive red color that is perfect for the holidays.
- The flavor is tart, fruity, and delicious!
Actually, they’re one of our favorite margarita recipes year-round!
If you’re looking for a festive margarita recipe, it doesn’t get any prettier than this! The cranberry juice makes this holiday margarita recipe a rich red color — it looks amazing on a party table!
I know what you might be thinking…
Just because it’s got tequila in it doesn’t make it a margarita!
Au contraire! A margarita at its core is comprised of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice — all of which are in this Christmas margarita. So yep, it is a real margarita!
And anyways, it’s super festive and beautiful! And yes, it tastes fantastic!
For your next holiday party try a batch of these gorgeous Christmas margaritas for your holiday gatherings — you won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients
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- Silver Tequila — More notes on types of tequila below
- Triple Sec — Orange liquor
- Cranberry juice — You can use sweetened or unsweetened; use unsweetened for a more tart drink (or you can balance with extra simple syrup).
- Lime juice — Can be bottle lime juice or fresh lime juice squeezed directly from limes
- Simple syrup — Can be store-bought or homemade
- Fresh Cranberries & Fresh Limes — for garnish
- Ice
Bartender’s Tools Used
- Large Pitcher (This ornament drink dispenser from Walmart is what I used this year!)
- Wire whisk
- Cocktail glasses
Recipe intended for readers 21+; Please enjoy responsibly!
How to Make Christmas Margaritas (Instructions)
- Prepare Your Glass – Run a lime wedge along the rim of your glass, then dip the rim of the glass in a shallow plate of sugar. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
- Measure Your Ingredients – Depending on the size of your pitcher, you nay need 2-4 cups of tequila, 1-2 cups of fresh lime juice, 1-2 cups of triple sec, 1-2 cups of simple syrup, and one jug of cranberry juice.
- Combine and Mix – Once everything is measured, pour into your pitcher. You can also pour each ingredient immediately as you measure. Once everything is in the pitcher, whisk to combine.
- Serve and Garnish – Pour margarita mixture over ice and garnish with sugared cranberries and a lime slice.
Your pitcher may be different in size from ours, so the important things to keep in mind are the ratios:
- We used a ratio of 2 parts cranberry juice to 1 part tequila.
- Equal parts triple sec, lime juice, and simple syrup.
However, you can always taste and adjust the ingredients to your preference.
Video Demo:
Prep Tips
- Garnishes – This drink is delicious with sugar on the rim of the glass! You could also use sugared cranberries and/or sprigs of fresh rosemary to add a festive touch. Another fun idea is to garnish with a candy cane!
- Cranberry Juice – Real cranberry juice (which is what we used) is quite tart, so I do recommend using simple syrup in this recipe to balance out the tartness. You could alternatively use cranberry cocktail, which already has sweeteners added. You can also make this a “white Christmas margarita” by using white cranberry juice.
- Variations – This drink also works with pomegranate juice or sweetened cherry juice. You still get that rich red color and a deliciously tart and fruity flavor. Grand Marnier can be substituted for triple sec, as this is another type of orange liqueur. It adds a little bit of spice to the drink. Cointreau is another common type of orange liqueur that could be used.
- Make it Frozen – You can make this in a blender with ice to make frozen cranberry margaritas. One of my tricks when making frozen margaritas is to freeze the juice and use that as the ice in the recipe so it doesn’t taste watered down. This is so refreshing in the summer!
- Yield – I prepared this recipe as if I was making it for a holiday party, so all of the measurements are for a pitcher, as opposed to an individual serving. A pitcher should serve 6-8, depending on the size of your pitcher and glassware.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Tequila Should I Use?
When it comes to margaritas, you can usually use pretty much any type of tequila. For our cranberry margaritas, I recommend silver tequila (tequila blanco). Gold or aged tequila often has a smokier flavor that may overpower the cranberries a bit.
As for price range, I’d stick with a mid-range tequila, or even edge towards the lower end of the scale. Of course, you can use an expensive tequila, but it is almost a waste because you’re tasting more of the juices rather than the tequila itself. I save the special tequila for sipping.
In the recipe video, you may notice that we used Cuervo Silver — it’s not a brand sponsorship or anything, but it is a solid brand and the bottle is under $20. Perfect for making margaritas that taste fantastic and are of good quality so as not to give you a headache…when enjoyed responsibly of course! 😉
What type of glass should I use for margaritas?
Traditionally, you may see margaritas served in a margarita glass or champagne coupe (pictured here).
However, the tall stemware is a little easier to spill. If you want something that’s easier to carry around without worrying about spills or sloshing, it’s perfectly acceptable to serve your margaritas in a cocktail glass (pictured below)
In fact, a cocktail glass is how I serve mine at home, unless I’m having a fancy event.
Can you make margaritas in advance?
Absolutely! You can mix everything together — minus the ice — and keep the pitcher in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
When you’re ready to serve, stir well and pour over ice.
You can make this cranberry margarita recipe in advance – simply keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
More of Our Favorite Christmas Drinks and Cocktail Recipes:
- Holiday Palomas
- Jack Frost Cocktail
- Grinch Christmas Jello Shots
- Tipsy Peppermint Mocha Cocktail
- Sparkling Black Cherry Martini
- Christmas Cranberry Vodka Spritzer
- Holiday Pomegranate Margaritas
- Christmas Sangria
- Santa Clausmopolitan
Christmas Margarita Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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“Mistletoe Margaritas” Christmas Margarita Recipe
Equipment
- Drink Pitcher
Ingredients
- 2-4 cups silver tequila
- 1-2 cups triple sec
- 4-8 cups cranberry juice
- 1-2 cups lime juice
- 1-2 cups simple syrup
- 1 cups fresh cranberries
- Lime wedges for garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- Add all liquid ingredients to large pitcher.
- Stir well.
- Pour into individual glasses with ice.
- Pour Christmas margaritas over ice and garnish with a lime wedge and cranberries.
Video
Notes
- We used a ratio of 2 parts cranberry juice to 1 part tequila.
- Equal parts triple sec, lime juice, and simple syrup.
- If using 2 cups of tequila, use 1 cup of triple sec, lime, and simple syrup. If you have a large container and are using 4 cups of tequila, use 2 cups of each of those ingredients, etc.
Nutrition
Save Our Cranberry Margarita Recipe on Pinterest:
More of our favorite holiday margaritas:
Rudolph’s White Christmas Margaritas
- Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe - June 30, 2025
- Red White & Blue Layered Cocktail - June 27, 2025
- Homemade Taco Seasoning - June 21, 2025
Made mistletoe margaritas for my gf and I this past weekend. OMG!! AMAZEBALLS!!
I made a batch this week for a video…and they were better than I even remembered! LOL! So glad you loved them too!
Our Pokeno hostess made a pitcher of these last night at our Christmas Pokeno. Delicious!!!
Delicious!!!