These easy Cranberry Mistletoe Margaritas are the perfect big batch Christmas cocktail to serve at your next holiday party. With only 3 ingredients, you can make these cranberry margaritas ahead, so you’re not stuck playing bartender at any of your holiday gatherings.
We always need a few easy recipes to make the holiday season special without all the work. If you’re looking for more batch Christmas cocktails, check out my White Christmas Margaritas, Cranberry Mistletoe Vodka Martinis, or my Hot Apple Cider Toddies with Bourbon – all include instructions for making at least 8 cocktails at once.
Since it is that time of year that we’re always needing gifting ideas, make sure to take a look at my Best Gifts for Margarita Lovers.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It takes just 3 ingredients and about 5 minutes to make this cranberry margarita recipe is guaranteed to be a huge hit!
You won’t have to spend time playing bartender or constantly using the cocktail shaker – instead, you can make it, relax, and enjoy your company.
It’s such a festive cocktail! When each margarita is garnished with a sprig of rosemary, lime wedge, and fresh cranberries, it looks like mistletoe.
Ingredient Notes
This delicious Mistletoe Margarita recipe is made with just a few ingredients that are quite easy to find. To whip up a pitcher of these margaritas, you’ll need:
Cranberry juice cocktail: I recommend using cranberry juice cocktail in this recipe. See FAQ for more information if you want to use 100% cranberry juice. In a pinch, you can substitute pomegranate juice.
Tequila: Blanco or silver tequila is preferred in this recipe.
Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is always best, but in a pinch, you can use bottled. I like to use my electric citrus juicer when I make batch cocktails.
Coarse salt for rim: This is strictly optional – it all depends on how you like your margaritas.
Garnishes – fresh cranberries, lime wedges, and rosemary sprigs: These are optional but give the margaritas a festive touch and pretty sitting in the pitcher and in the glasses. And since fresh cranberries naturally float, you can freeze the cranberries in advance and use them as “ice” to keep the margaritas cold without diluting them.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Optional Pre-Step:
Freeze about ½ – 1 cup of fresh whole cranberries in the freezer to use as “ice.”
Combine cranberry juice, lime juice, and tequila in a large pitcher. Stir well and chill the pitcher until ready to serve. Add the frozen cranberries right before serving to prevent dilution.
Rim any cocktail glasses by wetting the rim of each glass and then rolling in salt on a small shallow plate.
Add sprigs of fresh rosemary, lime wheels, and more fresh cranberries (frozen or not) either to the pitcher or to each glass for garnish, if desired.
Expert Tips & Variations
If you like sweeter margaritas or you are using 100% cranberry juice, you can try a sugared rim to balance the tartness. Tajin would also be an excellent choice or you could go for a sugar salt mixture.
Feel free to add triple sec (my fav is Cointreau) or Grand Marnier. I’d recommend adding about ½ – ¾ cup, and you can adjust per your taste. This Mistletoe Margaritas recipe is more in line with a style of margarita called “Tommy’s Margarita“, which does not use any type or orange liqueur.
If you want a sweeter cocktail, add a touch of simple syrup or agave nectar. If you want a more tart cocktail, add more lime juice.
For a smoky flavor, swap half or all of the tequila for mezcal to make a Cranberry Mezcalita.
For a frozen margarita spin, blend the batch with several handfuls of ice cubes in a large blender.
Recipe FAQ
I recommend using cranberry juice cocktail for these margaritas. You can use 100% cranberry juice, but it is very tart with no sweetness.
When the 100% juice combines with the lime juice, it gets too sour. You can still use it, but you may want to add simple syrup or agave syrup to the pitcher when mixing.
Blanco tequila is the type of tequila you should use for best results. It is also sometimes referred to as silver tequila.
Darker tequila, like reposado tequila, can be used for cocktails but is an aged spirit. Because of the aging process, it’s a bit more complex in flavor. You can use it but it will likely taste different.
You sure can! Just hit the 2x or 3x button on the recipe card below to have the measurements adjusted 12 or 18 cocktails.
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📖 Recipe
Cranberry Mistletoe Margaritas Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cranberry juice cocktail
- 1 ½ cups blanco tequila
- ½ cup lime juice
- ½ cup fresh whole cranberries for garnish or "ice", optional
- Additional lime wedges and rosemary sprigs for garnish, optional
- Salt or sugar for rims optional
Instructions
- Optional pre-step: add the fresh whole cranberries in the freezer and freeze until very firm and frosty.
- Add the cranberry juice cocktail, tequila, and lime juice to a pitcher that can hold at least 52 ounces (12 cups or about ½ gallon) comfortably. Stir well. Add the ice or frozen cranberries to the pitcher if serving immediately. If not, chill in fridge and add ice or cranberries just prior to serving.
- Serve cocktails with salt rims and additional lime wedges, fresh cranberries, and sprigs of rosemary.
Notes
Nutrition
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Anne
Great recipe and so easy to make!
Nika
hi, any tips on making this sparkling ? would adding seltzer water make it weird?
Melissa
I think adding plain sparkling water would dilute the flavor and will definitely dilute the alcohol. You can start by adding some flavored sparkling water (like cranberry, lime, etc.) or try some sparkling wine like dry prosecco or cava if you don’t want to want to lose the boozy punch.
Add a little bit a time and adjust the taste as you go: if it needs more sweetness – add more cranberry juice cocktail. Need more sour – add more lime juice. Keep going until you have the fizziness and flavor you want. If you go the dry prosecco or cava route, don’t buy a bottle that’s more than $20 (save the good stuff for drinking on its own). Hope that helps! If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Nika
I did not try to make it bubbly. I stuck to the original recipe for Christmas Eve and wanted to let you know it was a hit!! And I made 3x the amount which was still not enough because everyone loved it. It is now going to be part of every holiday season. Thank you!!
Melissa
Aw, thank you for sharing, Nika! That makes my day! I’m so happy that everyone loved it and it’s going to be a tradition 🙂
Lynne
Don’t forget the triple sec or orange liquor, add 1/2 the amount of tequila used. I then put a dollop (1 teaspoon) of cranberry sauce in the middle before serving. We like our rims with Tajin or spicy salt, the takes away from sweet and compliments the sour.
L
How much triple sec did you use? And does it make it that much better? I wonder while it wasn’t included in the original recipe.
Melissa
I didn’t use triple sec in this recipe, but you can certainly can and would taste great just like in traditional margaritas! It’s really a matter of personal preference – I like it both ways but chose to go with a minimal ingredient recipe. If I was going to add some triple sec, I’d probably start with adding 1/2 – 3/4 cup of triple sec – you can adjust per your taste. Hope that helps! 🙂
Charity
Easy to make ahead and delicious. Also good with cranberry/raspberry or cranberry/pomegranate cocktail.
Melissa
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Charity! Thanks for your feedback <3
Linda Wascom
Hi there. Do you think the base mixture could be made up and chilled a day before?
Melissa
Hey Linda! Yes, you can definitely make this ahead and chill the day before. I’ve done that, and it works well. I hope you enjoy them!
Mary
These were so good! Everyone loved them!