Thanksgiving Margarita Recipe
A smooth, sweet, and spicy fall themed cocktail, this Thanksgiving Margarita is a treat for the taste buds! One of the most unique margarita recipes you’ll ever try!
Thanksgiving Margarita
If you ever need to order me a drink, I’ll always go for a glass of red wine or a margarita — tequila is my fav!
Because I am obsessed with all things fall (it is my favorite season!) I decided it was about time to try fall themed margaritas! I’m super excited to share this Thanksgiving margarita recipe with you guys!!
This fall margarita is downright fabulous — from the gorgeous orange color (which reminds me of the leaves turning colors in my home state of West Virginia) to the unique flavor profile. Smooth, sweet, and with a hint of spicy cinnamon kick — totally irresistible! I love how it smells too! Like fresh apple cider…yumm!
If you’re in charge of drinks for Thanksgiving this year, you’ve got to try this Thanksgiving margarita recipe. The ingredients listed below are for one drink, but you can up the proportions and make a pitcher for your crew.
Let’s get mixing!
Related: For another fabulous fall cocktail, try our Crown Apple Spiked Apple Cider too!
What Kind of Glass Do You Serve a Margarita In?
Traditionally, a margarita is served in a margarita glass or champagne coupe (pictured directly above). The pros to this particular glassware is that you can hold it by the stem, so that your body heat doesn’t heat up the drink. Unfortunately, it is a bit more precarious and easier to spill (don’t ask me how I know!)
However, it is perfectly acceptable to serve a margarita in a cocktail glass (shown below). You’ll notice that we’ve used both the traditional, and easy-drinking cocktail glass in this post. The benefits to this type of glass is that it is less likely to spill.
Thanksgiving Margarita Ingredients
I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience in re-creating this recipe; disclosure policy available here.
- 2 oz 100% apple cider
- 2 oz pear juice
- 1½ oz gold tequila (see the FAQ section for tips on picking a tequila)
- 1 oz Grand Mariner or orange liqueur
- Salt (for glass)
- Lime
- Ice
- Cinnamon sticks, for garnish
Makes one Thanksgiving margarita; multiply the amounts above by 4 to make a pitcher.
Bartender’s Tools Used
How to Make a Thanksgiving Margarita
- Pour a 1/4″ layer of salt on a small plate. Run a lime along the rim of your cocktail glass, turn glass upside down and gently press the rim into salt. (You can also use simple syrup, if you have this on hand, to get the salt to stick to the glass.)
- Scoop ice into glass so that it is about 3/4 of the way full and squeeze the rest of your lime wedge over the ice.
- Combine liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
- Strain ice and pour your Thanksgiving margarita into prepared cocktail glass.
- Finish with a whole cinnamon stick.
This recipe is intended for 21+; please enjoy responsibly!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best Tequila for Margaritas?
I always say to use a tequila that you could drink on its own, because the better the tequila itself tastes, the better the margarita will taste!
However, you don’t have to use the fanciest, most expensive tequila for a margarita. I mean you can, but it’s almost a waste since you’re mixing it!
For margaritas, or any tequila based cocktail, I recommend using a nice mid-range tequila. You can use any variety: silver, gold, reposado or añejo (aged). I enjoy the robust flavor or a reposado or añejo with the spicy flavors of this recipe.
Is This Really a Margarita?
The number one feedback I’ve gotten on this recipe since I published it last year is how awesome and unique this drink is!
I’ve also gotten a few comments questioning if this really counts as a margarita.
A traditional margarita is made up of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. This cocktail has all three of those must-have components for margaritas — we simply incorporated a couple extra fall flavors!
So yes, as a margarita enthusiast, I’d say that this Fall Margarita definitely counts! And no matter what you call it…this is one delicious drink!
Can You Make this a Frozen Margarita?
Yes, you absolutely could! Personally, I prefer my margaritas on the rocks, so that’s why this recipe is shown as such.
Just keep in mind that when you make a frozen margarita, the ice is in small pieces and will dilute the drink a bit quicker.
Can You Make Enough for a Pitcher?
If you’re serving a crowd, you can make a pitcher and save time! A standard drink pitcher makes 4-5 servings, so simply multiply the ingredient amounts by four.
When making a pitcher, I recommend omitting the ice from the pitcher itself so the drink doesn’t get watered down. Instead, add ice to the glass directly and pour the cocktail over the ice when ready to enjoy.
More of our Favorite Margarita Recipes:
- Fresh Skinny Margarita Recipe
- Christmas Margarita Recipe
- Frozen Blackberry Margarita Recipe
- Mexican Candy Margaritas
More Fall Drink Recipes to Try:
- Sparkling Fall Punch
- Campfire Cocktail
- Maleficent Halloween Cocktail
- Witches Brew Cocktail
- Slow Cooker Apple Cider (Family-Friendly!)
Thanksgiving Margarita Recipe (Printable Copy)
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Thanksgiving Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz 100% apple cider
- 2 oz pear juice
- 1½ oz gold tequila
- 1 oz Grand Mariner or orange liqueur
- Salt for glass
- Simple syrup or lime wedge (to adhere salt to glass)
- Ice
- Cinnamon sticks for ganrish
Instructions
- Pour a 1/4" layer of salt on a small plate. Run a lime along the rim of your cocktail glass, turn glass upside down and gently press the rim into salt.
- Scoop ice into glass so that it is about 3/4 of the way full and squeeze the rest of your lime wedge over the ice.
- Combine liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
- Strain ice and pour your Thanksgiving margarita into prepared cocktail glass.
- Finish with a whole cinnamon stick.
Video
Notes
- Tequila - For margaritas, or any tequila based cocktail, I recommend using a nice mid-range tequila. You can use any variety: silver, gold, reposado or añejo (aged). I enjoy the robust flavor or a reposado or añejo with the spicy flavors of this recipe.
- Make it a Pitcher - If you’re serving a crowd, you can make a pitcher and save time! A standard drink pitcher makes 4-5 servings, so simply multiply the ingredient amounts by four.
Nutrition
Be sure to pin our Fall Margarita recipe on Pinterest:
More of our favorite tequila cocktails
Frozen Blood Orange Margarita Recipe
- Homemade Taco Seasoning - June 21, 2025
- Red White and Blue Ice Cream - June 20, 2025
- Wendy’s Frosty Recipe (4 Ingredient Copycat) - June 18, 2025
How much simple syrup and how is it used?
The simple syrup is only used to get salt to stick to the rim of the glass – I changed it to lime in the post itself because that works too and is something we always have in the fridge. Sorry for the confusion!
I always make a new cocktail for Thanksgiving dinner so we tried this one this year. We didn’t care for it. It was just ok. I don’t know if the cider or tequila (Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado) was not the right choice but it was not as good as I thought it would be.
Thanks for the feedback!
Hi I’m trying to adjust the amount from 1 serving to 6 but the website doesn’t allow for it (amount it keeps blinking out/off). Is there something else I could try? I’d love to make this for Thanksgiving.
Hi Terry – it’s pretty easy to adjust this recipe on your own by multiplying the amounts. But it’s ok if things aren’t exact! When I make a big batch for a gathering, I kind of eyeball it…taste…and add more of what I need until it tastes the way I like it.
Amazing and perfect for fall! This will be served at cocktail hour on Thanksgiving day! Thank you for such a tasty drink!
Thank you Kathy! 🙂
I can’t wait to try! Have you ever made this in a larger batch?
You can absolutely make this in a bigger batch 🙂 Just increase the ingredients proportionately – you can whisk together (without ice) in a pitcher and then pour over ice inn glasses.
I love you for making this!!!
This is has got to be one of the best drink recipes ever.
Cinnamon & sugar around the rim is an amazing substitute for salt.
This drink gives me warm and fuzzies, and that’s not just the alcohol, haha.
Thank you!
Will have to try the cinnamon sugar rim – thanks for the tip!
Hi Stacey! This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try the recipe out! Where did you happen to get the pear juice?
Hi Shannon – check the Latin or international aisle at the grocery store. I believe we used Goya pear juice or nectar — should be available at most stores!
probably a stupid question but where do I get pear juice I’ve looked all over and I’ve never seen it in the store is it from a can of pears
Hi Denise – I just saw this comment so hopefully you found pear juice by now! We usually get it in the international aisle if you can’t find it in the juice aisle. I know that Goya makes canned pear juice.
Too many ads 🙁 bad experience
Hi Stephen — thank you for your feedback, however, the ads provide the income needed to keep all the content free for my readers. It would be rare to find any website with no ads.
I added some lime which cut the sweetness! Pretty good!
Yep, the lime definitely adds a nice touch! 🙂
I’m confused. You say to multiple by 4 to make a pitcher but my math isn’t adding up. Help me figure this out. If one drink is the 2oz of Pear and Apple cider each then that’s only 4Tbsp each. Right? 8oz make a cup so 2 oz would be 4TBSP. This isn’t making sense.
Hi Melody, you’d use about a cup of each type of juice to make the pitcher, as a cup is 8 fluid ounces. Then you’d multiply the other ingredients by 4 as well. Of course this is just an estimate, as everyone’s pitchers will vary in size. I promise you can’t really mess up the recipe…you can also ways taste test an adjust as needed!
I love all things Fall as well! The Thanksgiving Margurita sounds absolutely delicious and can’t wait to try it! ?
This sounds delicious!! Can I sub clear tequila instead of gold? (Gold gives me heartburn ?) will it make a difference in the quality of the drink?
Sure! You can use any tequila you like!
In some of your photos, the margarita looks orange. In others, it looks hazy, light yellow. Did you do something different to get that more fall-colored drink?
Hi Kim, we’ve made the recipe many times! The shape of the glass make a big difference. A margarita glass is wide and not very deep, so the drink will look lighter than when it’s in a rocks glass. Also, the exact ingredients can vary (different brands of juice, etc). Finally, the lighting will not be the same in different sets of photos and lighting really affects how colors present. But they are all the same recipe! We make this every year for Thanksgiving and for random family get togethers when requested 🙂
Hi quick question, uk resident when you say apple cider, do you mean apple cider vinegar?
In this case I mean apple cider the drink. It is a an unfiltered and usually unsweetened drink made from apples. Hope this helps!
This one was not my fave or my husband’s. We decided to try in while searching for the perfect Thanksgiving day cocktail. This is not it- way too many things going on and it just doesn’t work. It sounds tasty and looks adorable, but not a winner. I really wanted to love it!!
Thanks for the feedback! It’s been a hit in our family for a few years now, but totally understandable that it might not be to everyone’s taste.
Try agave syrup on the rim of the glass. It sticks better than lime and comes ready to use, unlike simple syrup.
Thanks for the tip! I do have agave syrup!
The apple cider, grocery store kind or alcoholic kind? Filtered or unfiltered and what do you use? I think this will get me through the holiday weekend!
We used non-alcoholic since we were mixing with Crown — it’s strong enough that way 😉 There’s nothing wrong with using unfiltered cider, but the filtered will look clearer and perhaps prettier in the glass. Hope this helps!
I am a margarita gal especially made with Grand Mariner. This was so yummy, perfect for the fall. Nice balance of sweet and tart. Gonna serve this at New Years!
Awesome! Glad you loved them too!
I had big hopes for this Thanksgiving Margarita & served it to my girlfriends this evening for Happy Hour. I am sorry to advise that none of us cared for them.?It’s ok Stacey-Maybe because I didn’t shake them. Look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Shaking helps blend all the ingredients, so that might have made a difference. But they’re not for everyone and that’s ok!
Unable to print without signing up for some launch app. I just want to print the recipe without adding some dang app.
There is no app required to print recipes from my website. However, I’m not sure what browser you are using or the settings for your computer/network. If you have a pop-up blocker it could be causing issues (the print dialog window is a pop-up).
Ever made this with volka?
I’m a tequila gal, but I think vodka could work! Perhaps a flavored vodka, such as vanilla or caramel!
What can you substitute for the pear juice and or the pear nectar?
If not using pear juice, I would just use extra apple cider and keep it simple.
Can you tell me the specific brand of tequila you used? Can’t wait to make this!!
We usually keep a bottle of Cuervo Tradicional on hand to make margaritas for guests, but you can really use any type that you like!
This sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try it. My son likes bourbon. Can u give me some interesting bourbon drink recipes?
Hi Marcy, I’m working on a new cocktail-specific website and it breaks down the recipes into types of spirits. There are some fun bourbon drinks there already if you want to check them out: https://tastycocktailrecipes.com/
Have you ever made a big pitcher the night before? Will it keep until the next day in the fridge? We LOVE this recipe. Making a big batch for tomorrow…
Should be fine to make overnight! The only drinks I don’t make in advance are frozen drinks of course, and anything with bubbles.
It was good but I feel like it was missing something. It need either more acidity or more spice. A little too sweet for me.
A little more lime juice could do the trick! Or perhaps a different brand of apple cider might have the flavor you like better. Thanks for the feedback!
Made to the recipe for the first serving, and split between 4 people for tasting. All thought this was missing something. Not enough acidity and extremely mild on the flavor. Pear juice is obviously mild in flavor. This has the bones of a good fall drink, but it’s not a margarita by any stretch.
Suggestions:
– Choose your cider carefully. I’d go with something more tart to mimic the acidity of the lime of a traditional margarita
– We dialed in the taste by cutting way back the orange liqueur (1/4 oz) and adding spices in the shaker (clove, ginger, cinnamon stick) to infuse some flavor.
– Ideally, mull the cider with whatever tradtional mulling spices you would use, chill it down, and use that as the base for this.
Thank you for the detailed feedback and suggestions! I usually add extra lime juice to brighten it up, but a tart cider could help too!
Do you use Grand Mariner or orange liqueur? and what brand?
Grand Mariner is a type of orange liqueur, so this would work. You could also use triple sec for a more budget friendly option.
Hi Stacy! I came across your Thanksgiving margarita recipe. I’m hosting for the first time tomorrow and would like to try this drink out. It sounds good. Is it possible I can make it without the pear juice?
Sure! You can simply use extra apple cider in its place.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
It is Grand Marnier, not mariner.
Autocorrect will get ya every time. I’ll change it next time I update the post.
This was so good! I made it for a girls’ weekend as a trial run for Thanksgiving. I even had some mason jars on hand to use as glasses. Everyone loved and wanted me to share the recipe! Thanks for this cozy drink!
So glad it was a hit!