If you love a good tropical twist to your cocktails, you are going to love this Lychee Margarita. It’s super simple to make but feels like an exotic vacation.
I first got into lychee cocktails while visiting a bar during a trip to the Finger Lakes in New York. While fresh variety can be hard to find; it’s fairly easy to find canned lychees, which make excellent cocktails and even better margaritas! If you’re also a fruity margarita fan, you’ll definitely want to check out my Blackberry Basil or Strawberry Limoncello Margaritas.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Unique flavor – The lychees provide a sweet exotic flavor that can’t be found elsewhere. It will intrigue anyone you serve it to.
Simple to make – This recipe gets its flavor from pureed canned lychees, which are far easier to find and use than fresh ones that require peeling and deseeding.
Customizable – You can easily make this more tart, sweet, or even spicy by adjusting and adding a few simple ingredients to put your own spin on this drink.
What are lychee fruits?
Lychee fruits come from a tropical tree that is native to China. They have a rough, red-pink color exterior shell with a seeded white fruit on the inside. If you get them fresh, they need to be be shelled and deseeded before eating.
Canned varieties are typically already shelled and have the seeds removed. Their flavor is light, floral, and refreshing, making them the perfect cocktail ingredient!
Ingredient Notes
Tequila – With the delicate taste of this cocktail, I recommend using a blanco tequila. If you want an extra tropical flavor, a coconut flavored tequila would also work great.
Triple sec – Cointreau is my go-to for a high quality triple sec that has a strong citrus flavor, but as with all cocktails, I recommend going with your favorite brand. Afterall, it is YOUR cocktail, so choose your favorite combinations.
Lime juice – Freshly squeezed citrus juice will always taste best in cocktails. If I’m making one or two cocktails, I’ll usually use a hand squeezer. However, if I’m making a batch of cocktails that require fresh citrus juice, I use my electric citrus juicer.
Lychee puree – This recipe calls for making your own lychee puree for which you only need a can of lychee fruit packed in syrup to make. You’ll simply puree some of the drained lychees with some of the syrup from the can. I found my can at my local Asian grocery store, but you can also find canned lychees on Amazon.
Garnishes – I like to skewer one or two of the leftover fruits from the can on a cocktail pick for a garnish. You can also opt for a slice of lime if you prefer. I did happen to have some fresh ones on hand that a friend gave to me, so those were nice to use as a garnish too.
How to Make Lychee Puree
All you need to make the puree is a can of lychees in syrup and a blender.
Steps 1-2: Drain the fruit out of the syrup but keep the syrup. Add the required ratios (see recipe card notes) of the syrup and fruit to a blender bowl.
Steps 3-4: Blend until completely smooth and pour into an airtight container. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How to Make the Lychee Margarita
Step 1: Add the tequila, triple sec, and lime juice to an empty cocktail shaker.
Step 2: Add the lychee puree and ice cubes. Shake the cocktail shaker until well chilled.
Step 3: Strain into a margarita glass and garnish, if desired.
Expert Tips
If you want a smoother cocktail, double strain by pouring the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer when pouring into the margarita glass. If you don’t mind a little bit of pulp, don’t worry about this step.
Freeze a few extra lychees that you can use as “ice” in your cocktail glass. This will keep your drink cold without dilution.
Variations
Try adding a salt or tajin rim for extra flavor. Simply moisten the rim of the glass with lime juice and roll into either salt or tajin for some extra contrasting flavor.
If you want a sweeter Lychee Margarita, try adding some simple syrup (my lemon-lime syrup would be a great option!) to sweeten it up a bit. Conversely for a more tart flavor, increase the amount of lime juice.
To increase the floral flavor, add a touch of elderflower syrup or a liqueur like St. Germain.
Want some spice? Try adding a slice or two of jalapenos to the blender bowl when you make your puree. You can use however many jalapeno slices with or without seeds you want, depending the level of spice you’re going for.
FAQ
What is the best tequila to use in a Lychee Margarita?
Blanco or silver tequila is my preferred option. It has a crisp and clean finish, which allows the delicate floral flavors of the drink to shine through.
Can I make a batch of these margaritas?
Yes, you definitely can make a batch of this recipe very easily. Simply multiply the measurements of each ingredient by the number of servings you need. Either chill the pitcher of margaritas in advance or pour over ice; avoid adding ice directly to the batch as not to dilute the cocktail.
Can I make a batch in advance?
Yes, you certainly can make a batch in advance! Mix all of the ingredients together in a large pitcher up to 1 day in advance and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Keep in mind that if you don’t double strain, some of the fruit pulp may settle at the bottom of your pitcher – simply give it a good stir before serving.
What else can I do with any leftover puree?
You can do so many things with leftover puree! A few ideas to get you started include:
- Adding it to smoothies
- Using it to sweeten lemonade or iced tea
- Drizzle over pancakes, waffles, or plain yogurt
Did you love this recipe?
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Lychee Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounce tequila (blanco or silver)
- 1 ounce triple sec
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1 ounce lychee puree (from 1 can lychees in syrup – recipe follows see notes for how to make)
- Lychee fruit and/or lime slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-step: Make the lychee puree from the can of lychees per the instructions in the notes.
- Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and lychee puree in a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and shake until well chilled.
- Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish, if desired.
Notes
- 1 cup canned lychees, drained
- ¼ cup lychee syrup from the can
Nutrition
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Jo
I love margaritas and I love lychees, so this was a big winner for me!