12 Festive Margaritas for the Holiday Season
Celebrate the holidays with 12 festive margarita recipes! Discover unique, delicious cocktails perfect for your holiday parties and gatherings. Cheers!
This holiday season, add a splash of vibrant flavor to your celebrations with a festive twist to your favorite tequila cocktails. From the warm spice of an añejo margarita to the smoky allure of a mezcal creation, these recipes are perfect for any Christmas party, winter gathering, or cozy night in.
Explore our collection of spirited recipes below, each crafted to highlight the iconic flavors of the season. Find your new go-to and get ready to mix, mingle, and be merry.
In This Article, You'll Discover:
The Mistletoe Margarita: A perfectly sweet and festive cocktail with a hint of holiday magic, sure to be a new tradition.
Spicy Añejo Margarita: Sophisticated and warming, this margarita pairs the smooth, oak-aged notes of Añejo tequila with a delightful spicy kick.
Pomegranate Margarita: Celebrate with the season's jewel. This vibrant, ruby-red margarita is bursting with the juicy, tart flavor of fresh pomegranate.
Cranberry Margarita: A cheerful and festive classic. The bright, tart flavor of cranberry makes this the ultimate holiday party-starter.
Skinny Margarita: All the flavor, none of the guilt. Enjoy a lighter, refreshingly crisp margarita that's perfect for mindful holiday indulging.
Cranberry and Pomegranate Paloma: A bubbly and refreshing twist on a classic, this Paloma combines two festive fruits for a bright, effervescent sip.
Blackberry Margarita: Rich, fruity, and beautifully hued, this margarita blends the sweetness of blackberries with the crispness of lime.
Spicy Margarita: Turn up the heat this winter! This zesty margarita delivers the perfect punch of fresh jalapeño spice.
Smoky Cranberry Mezcal Madras: A modern, complex cocktail that combines the smoky essence of mezcal with the tartness of cranberry for a truly memorable drink.
Pumpkin Spice Margarita: The ultimate autumn-meets-winter cocktail. Cozy up with the warm flavors of pumpkin spice in this uniquely festive margarita.
The Classic Margarita: Master the timeless original. Perfectly balanced with tequila, lime, and a touch of sweetness, it’s a classic for a reason.
Mistletoe Margarita
Winter white in color and deliciously seasonal in taste, this classic margarita boasts a sweet spin with coconut and spiced simple syrup. Inspired by an iconic seasonal holiday tradition, this easy-sipping margarita cocktail riff features flavors of coconut and baking spices, including clove, ginger and allspice.
Spicy Añejo Margarita
Is there a tequila cocktail more classic than the margarita? While you may be most used to a sweet and tart margarita made with blanco tequila, you won’t want to miss this darker, spicier take with our spicy añejo margarita recipe.
Pomegranate Ginger Margarita
Cranberry Holiday Margarita
Perhaps the cocktail most synonymous with summer is the margarita. Luckily, the beverage’s penchant for customization makes it easy to modify for the holiday season. When Casamigos Mezcal is combined with Gamay, a light-bodied red wine bursting with flavors of cranberry and red currant, the herbal aromas of the agave spirit are enhanced, bringing out the thyme, mint and licorice.
Blackberry Margarita
This margarita is elevated to new heights by the kick of 21Seeds' Cucumber Jalapeño tequila. This creative twist on a classic cocktail brings together the sweetness of ripe blackberries and the smoky heat of jalapeños, resulting in a symphony of taste sensations that will tantalize your palate and impress your guests.
Smoky Cranberry Mezcal Madras
The end of the calendar year marks cranberry season and cranberry sauce is set to take the stage at millions of dinner tables during the holidays. Casamigos Mezcal, sweet orange liqueur and fresh pressed lime juice get a Thanksgiving-influenced, cranberry sauce-inspired tone in this seasonal riff.
Pumpkin Spice Margarita
Add the warmth and charm of the fall season into your cocktail hour. Made with the smooth and distinctive Casamigos Reposado tequila, this cocktail combines the rich flavors of pumpkin with a hint of seasonal spices to create a margarita that's as cozy as a crisp, cool evening by the bonfire. Whether you're hosting a Halloween party, Thanksgiving gathering, or simply looking to savor the flavors of fall, this pumpkin-spiced margarita is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Tips for Making Pitcher Margaritas
Transforming your favorite single-serving margarita recipe into a party-ready pitcher is simple. Follow these tips to ensure your batch cocktails are perfectly balanced and delicious every time.
Scale with Simple Math: To convert a single recipe to a pitcher, simply multiply the ingredients by the number of servings you want to make. A standard pitcher usually holds 6-8 cocktails. For example, if a single recipe calls for 2 oz of tequila, you will use 12-16 oz for a pitcher.
Mix in the Right Order: For the best-tasting margarita, always mix your ingredients in the pitcher before adding ice. Combine the tequila, lime juice, and any sweeteners or fruit juices first. Stir well to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Hold the Ice: Never add ice directly to the pitcher! This will dilute your beautiful batch of margaritas as it melts. Instead, fill the pitcher with your pre-mixed cocktail and store it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours) before guests arrive. When it's time to serve, simply pour the chilled margarita mix into ice-filled glasses.
Taste and Adjust: After you've mixed the batch, give it a quick taste. Sometimes, scaling up a recipe requires small adjustments. You may need a little more lime juice for brightness or a touch more agave for balance. Trust your taste buds!
Prep Your Garnishes: Prepare your garnishes—like lime wedges, salted rims, or festive cranberries—ahead of time. Set up a small garnish station next to the pitcher so guests can customize their own cocktails.
Frequently asked questions
For a classic margarita, a 100% blue agave tequila is always a great choice. For our festive holiday margaritas, we recommend a smooth reposado tequila, which has notes of oak and vanilla that pair beautifully with winter flavors.
Yes! To make your holiday hosting a breeze, you can mix the base of most of these margarita recipes (the tequila, lime juice, and any other juices or syrups) a day in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, shake with ice and garnish.
Creating a festive and flavorful non-alcoholic margarita is easy! Replace the tequila and orange liqueur with a combination of fresh-squeezed orange juice, a splash of agave nectar, and a dash of non-alcoholic bitters for complexity.