Let's bring an extra summery twist to everyone's favorite cocktail with this fresh blueberry margarita! Made with muddled ripe blueberries and just the right kick of tequila, this fruity margarita shows off loads of berry flavor in each refreshing sip. You can whip it up in just a few minutes, or you could even make a big batch ahead of time for the perfect party cocktail.
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Why You Need to Make This Recipe
Whether you're hosting a big summer party or a low-key evening with a small group of friends, this blueberry margarita is sure to add a festive touch to any gathering.
- Always a crowd-pleaser. Seriously, do you know anyone who doesn't appreciate a good margarita? And then you add fresh blueberries to the mixture? Everyone will go wild for this, and it will keep everyone refreshed all summer long.
- Makes the most of berry season. I'm a big believer in enjoying seasonal ingredients for making the best-tasting recipes, especially when it comes to cocktails. Ripe seasonal fruit is an easy way to elevate any mixed drink.
- Easy as can be. If you're new to home bartending, do not be intimidated by this drink. Making this fruity margarita doesn't require any advanced bartending skills.
- Takes hardly any time. Busy hosting? No worries. This blueberry margarita comes together in less than five minutes, so you can spend more time enjoying company and less time playing bartender, especially if you make a big batch ahead of time.
- Turns heads. A cocktail should taste good, but isn't part of the fun the presentation? The fresh blueberries give this margarita the most stunning color that's sure to impress. It would also make a lovely signature cocktail with that pretty hue!
Ingredients
Let's chat ingredients. I have a few standard recommendations to make your best-ever margarita.
First, I highly recommend a reposado tequila rather than a blanco, or silver, tequila. Reposado tequila ages between two months to a year in oak barrels, which imparts a more complex, nuanced flavor with slightly fruity notes of vanilla and spice. The finish is smoother, and I firmly believe reposado tequila makes a better margarita. As someone who has had her share of margaritas, trust me on this.
For the orange liqueur, I'm partial to Grand Marnier or Cointreau. These are your top-shelf orange liqueurs. If you prefer a more economical option, triple sec works nicely.
I also use just a touch of simple syrup to sweeten this blueberry margarita. We don't need much since the blueberries act as a natural sweetener.
That said, if you'd prefer to use agave nectar, you're more than welcome to substitute the simple syrup. Or if you prefer a more tart, less sweet margarita, you may find the sweetener is unnecessary. This comes down to personal preference.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: We begin by tossing our blueberries and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker (photo 1) and muddling until the blueberries are well-mashed like so (photo 2).
Step 2: Now we add in our tequila, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice and ice (photo 3). We pop on the top and give it a vigorous shake (photo 4).
Step 3: For an optional salted rim, we run a lime slice along our serving glass and then swirl it on a small plate covered with sea salt (photo 5). While optional, this always adds a fun touch.
Step 4: Now we strain our fresh blueberry margarita into our garnished glasses and sip the night away.
Recipe FAQs
Although fresh blueberries are generally available all year, you are more than welcome to use frozen blueberries if that’s what you have on hand. Just make sure to thaw them first to get the most blueberry flavor when muddling.
You sure can. I included proportions for a 12-serving pitcher of blueberry margaritas in the notes section of the recipe card.
However, if you'd like to customize the servings, it's a simple formula. Cocktails are measured in ounces rather than cups, but I realize cup measurements are easier for recipe batching. In that case, simply multiply the number of servings by ounces, and then divide that number by eight, which will give you the cups measurement.
You can absolutely make nonalcoholic blueberry margaritas. Replace the tequila with a sparkling water and the orange liqueur with a splash of orange juice. Just like that, you have the perfect margarita mocktail.
We bring equal parts water and sugar to a boil, giving it a stir every so often to dissolve the sugar. And that's it! Simple, huh?
While you can buy simple syrup, I highly recommend making your own. It's quick, easy and lasts for weeks. Plus, you won't find any weird ingredients.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have a muddler, you can use a large wooden spoon, though I do recommend picking up a muddler if you enjoy making cocktails at home.
- Before juicing the lime, firmly roll it on the countertop under the palm of your hand. It makes juicing a bit easier.
- Pick limes that have some give to them when you press into them. We don’t want rock-hard limes because they’re dried out.
- Use two hands when shaking. This gives us enough support for a truly vigorous shake.
- Feel free to get creative! The recipe as written will give you a delicious blueberry margarita, but it's always fun to put your own unique spin on a recipe. Make a simple syrup infused with fresh mint, basil or ginger. Add another type of berry or make this a sparkling cocktail by pouring in a splash of sparkling water or ginger beer.
Perfect Pairing
A festive drink calls for a festive pairing, and I have just the recipe for you -- blueberry-strawberry shortcake! The sweet berries macerate in fresh orange zest and Grand Marnier to mimic the bright citrus in our tequila. These two were made for each other.
If you'd like some other berry recipe options, my mixed berry-custard pie and raspberry mojito pies are also the perfect sweet treat with this blueberry cocktail.
I hope you make the most of berry season and whip up this fresh blueberry margarita. You'll love this delicious patio sipper.
Cheers!
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Blueberry Margarita
Equipment
- Muddler
- Handheld citrus juicer
- Jigger or small measuring cup
- Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- ¼ heaping cup blueberries
- ½ ounce simple syrup preferably homemade (see note)
- 2 ounces tequila preferably reposado
- 1 ounce orange liqueur preferably Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 lime
- Ice
- Lime slices for garnish, optional
- Coarse sea salt for garnish, optional
- Additional blueberries for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add blueberries and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Muddle until the blueberries are well-pulverized and juicy.
- Pour in the tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice and add a handful of ice. Put on the cocktail shaker top and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds.
- If desired, run a lime slice along the rim of your serving glass. Pour sea salt in a small plate and swirl the rim of the serving glass in the sea salt. Add ice to serving glass.
- Replace the cocktail shaker top with a cocktail strainer and strain into the ice-filled serving glass. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a pitcher serving 12, use 3 cups blueberries, ¾ cup simple syrup, 3 cups tequila, 1 ½ cups orange liqueur and 1 ½ cups lime juice (about 12 limes). You can muddle the berries, or if you find it's easier for a big batch, you can pureé them.
- To make your own simple syrup, bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil, stirring every so often to dissolve the sugar. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks. You may also substitute simple syrup for agave nectar, and feel free to adjust the measurement depending on how sweet you like your margaritas.
- If you don’t have a muddler, you can use a large wooden spoon.
- Before juicing the lime, firmly roll it on the countertop under the palm of your hand. It makes juicing a bit easier.
- Pick limes that have some give to them when you press into them.
- Use two hands when shaking. This gives us enough support for a truly vigorous shake.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
My grandson, who's almost 3, loves anything with berries. He'll be thrilled to have a non-alcoholic version of this margarita while the adults choose their version. Such a lovely color and including the Cointreau is inspired.
Love a good margarita and absolutely love your blueberry margs!. The muddle blueberries really make the drink.
I'm a big Margarita fan and of course, I had to try this version. Sold! I loved the orange flavor with the blueberry, so refreshing and so summery. I will be making it again. And again.
This blueberry margarita looks amazing. I fully agree the salted rim and blueberry colour definitely makes it pop. Now that the weather is nice and hosting may be in our near future, I can't wait to make this for the masses. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this blueberry margarita! Perfect for gatherings and it's easy to make!
You are very welcome, Allyssa!
So pretty, love the color. I have a blueberry bush and I basically just get handfuls of berries at a time so this is perfect for using those berries, plus I love a fruity margarita.
I'm a little jealous you have access to fresh berries like that! We have strawberries and raspberries but no blueberries. I'll have to change that! You will love it.
Citrus is my favorite flavor and this drink is amazing. Love the combination and presentation too.
Thank you so much, Veena!
Now this is what I want to be drinking this summer! The flavors in this margarita are so good - love the use of blueberries!
I’ll cheers to that!