The pomegranate margarita is a beautiful, festive margarita with a deep red colour and bold flavour. Made with pure pomegranate juice, tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, the flavours are perfectly balanced, being tart yet slightly sweet.
This pretty margarita can be enjoyed any time of year but is especially enjoyable in the fall and winter. It is delicious when served with appetizers such as baked brie and charcuterie boards, but this cocktail is also suitable to simply sip on its own.
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What is a Pomegranate Margarita?
A pomegranate margarita is a beautiful and festive cocktail made with pomegranate juice, tequila, orange liqueur and lime.
This cocktail is shaken and then poured into glasses that have been rimmed with margarita salt and filled with ice.
This margarita has a bold, tart, yet slightly sweet flavour from the pomegranate juice. The tequila and orange liqueur add to the sweetness, and the lime juice brings everything together.
The balanced flavours of this cocktail are delicious any time of the year, but they are especially delicious in fall and winter when fresh pomegranates are easily available. They make a festive margarita around the holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
This margarita is quick and easy to make and can be made into a larger pitcher if you want to serve a crowd. You can mix all of the ingredients ahead of time and simply shake them with some ice when ready to serve.
You will want to serve this cocktail over a glass that has been filled with ice to keep it cool and refreshing. The more ice you use, the colder and less diluted the drink will become, so be sure to use a lot of ice.
Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You only need a few ingredients to make these delicious pomegranate cocktails. You will require the following:
- Tequila Blanco – You can choose your favourite brand, but we do highly recommend choosing one that is of good quality for the best flavour. If you are new to tequila and need help selecting one to try then you can check out the list of the top 10 tequilas for margaritas. It will give you a good overview and help you decide which one is right for you.
- Orange liqueur – We like Triple Sec for its vibrant orange flavour and because it is affordable and readily available. You can use Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or even orange curacao, but each will lend a slightly different flavour to the finished drink.
- Pomegranate juice – Choose real, 100% pomegranate juice for this recipe rather than pomegranate cocktail, or any of the blends, for best flavour.
- Ice – Ice cubes are prefered over crushed ice. Crushed ice will melt faster, resulting in a diluted drink. If you can find clear, purified ice, even better. You should be able to locate it in most grocery stores or gas stations and some fast food restaraunts will even sell you some. Be sure to use lots!
- Garnish – Margarita salt, pomegranate seeds, lime slices, or fresh rosemary sprigs all make pretty garnishes for this simple cocktail.
Pro-Tip: Be sure to use real, 100% pomegranate juice and fresh squeezed lime juice for this recipe instead of a pomegranate cocktail or any of the many blends available, as it will give your margarita a better flavour and brighter colour. If needed, a pomegranate cocktail can be substituted, but it will result in a sweeter drink with a slightly different flavour.
Step by Step Instructions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then measure and pour the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and pomegranate juice into the shaker.
Place the lid on the shaker and shake for 20-30 seconds, or until the outside of the cocktail shaker is frosty and cold.
Pour the margarita into two cocktail glasses that have been rimmed with margarita salt. Garnish as desired, and enjoy!
Pro-Tip: You can rim your glasses with margarita salt before you pour your margarita if you like. Cut a wedge from a lime and run it along the rim of the glass, then dip it in a shallow bowl of margarita salt.
How to Prepare a Pomegranate
Pomegranates, with their firm rind, white membrane, and many seeds called arils, may seem intimidating to prepare, but it’s actually quite simple to open these tasty fruits and expose the lovely, juicy seeds without too much mess.
Step 1 – Using a small, sharp knife, carefully cut a square around the fuzzy stem at the top of the pomegranate. You want to pierce the skin enough to cut through the rind, but not so deep that you are cutting into the arils.
Step 2 – Use the knife to pry the square from the pomegranate, and then use your hands to pull it from the top. Next, use the knife to cut through the rind of the pomegranate from each point of the square. Cut from the point down and around the fruit until you reach the bottom. You will make four cuts from the four points of the square.
Step 3 – Set the knife aside, and using your hands, gently pull each cut section away from the centre of the fruit.
Step 4 – You will end with four sections of pomegranate full of seeds, plus a small point of seeds in the middle. To remove the seeds, hold a section over a bowl and gently rub your fingers over the seeds to loosen them from the white membrane.
Equipment
While you really don’t need anything other than something to shake the cocktail and a couple of glasses, there are some things that will make your cocktail experience more enjoyable.
Cocktail shaker – A cocktail shaker will help you mix your drinks quickly while chilling them. There are many styles to choose from, and you don’t need anything fancy. One of my favourites is a mason jar style shaker, and if you don’t have a proper cocktail shaker, a mason jar with a lid will work too.
Cocktail glasses – Any cocktail glasses will work for shaken margaritas. I like to use whisky glasses; they are versatile, stable and easy to hold. But you could use traditional margarita glasses if you prefer.
Jigger – A jigger will allow you to measure your ingredients precisely. It is small and designed to measure and pour the smaller quantities that are generally used in cocktails. You can use a small measuring cup or glass if you don’t have a jigger.
Cocktail picks – Cocktail picks are not essential but will allow you to add fun garnishes without them falling to the bottom of the glass.
Top Tips & FAQS
We recommend making margaritas with a good quality tequila blanco, or silver tequila, for the best flavour.
While making it at the time of serving is best, you can mix it ahead of time if needed. Mix all of the ingredients except the ice. When it comes time to serve, just add some ice to a cocktail shaker, add some of your premixed cocktails, shake and serve.
More Cocktail Recipes
Printable Recipe
Pomegranate Margarita
Ingredients
- 3 oz tequila blanco or silver tequila
- 2 oz triple sec
- 1 oz lime juice freshly squeezed
- 6 oz 100% pomegranate juice
- ice
Optional Garnishes
- pomegranate seeds
- margarita salt
- lime wedges
- rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Run a lime wedge around the edge of two cocktail glasses, then dip the glasses in a shallow dish of margarita salt. Set aside.
- Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice.
- Measure and pour the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and pomegranate juice into the cocktail shaker.
- Place the lid on the shaker and shake for 20-30 seconds or until the outside of the shaker is frosty and cold.
- Fill the two cocktail glasses with ice and pour the margarita.
- Garnish as desired with pomegranate seeds, rosemary sprigs, or lime wedges.
Notes
- This recipe can be scaled as needed. To make a single drink, divide the ingredients in half.
- Ice cubes are preferred over crushed ice as crushed ice will melt faster and dilute the drink.
- Select a good quality tequila blanco for this recipe for the best flavour.
- Triple sec can be substituted with Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Orange
Curaçao, but it will change the flavour profile slightly.
- Choose 100% pomegranate juice for the best result. A Pomegranate cocktail will result in a sweeter drink and less pure flavour.
- If you want to rim the glass with margarita salt, run a lime wedge around the edge, then dip the glass in a shallow dish of salt before filling it with ice.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.