Sparkling Cranberry-Ginger Margarita
Elevate your cocktail game with a sparkling cranberry-ginger margarita this holiday season! Made with a fresh ginger simple syrup, tart cranberry juice and bubbly ginger ale, this holiday margarita is one jolly cocktail that’s sure to put everyone in a festive mood. You won't find a more perfect cranberry cocktail for your next holiday gathering.
Servings 1 drink
Calories 346kcal
Ingredients
Fresh Ginger Simple Syrup
- 1 cup fresh peeled ginger cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
Sparkling Cranberry-Ginger Margarita
- Ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
- Sugar for garnish, optional
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 lime
- 2 ounces tequila preferably reposado
- 2 ounces cranberry cocktail juice
- 1 ounce ginger liqueur
- 1 ounce fresh ginger simple syrup
- Ice
- Splash of ginger beer or ginger ale
Sugared Cranberry Garnish (Optional)
- ½ cup sugar divided
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
Fresh Ginger Simple Syrup
- Add ginger, water and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Turn off heat once it boils and the sugar dissolves.
- Allow the syrup to steep for at least 15 minutes and strain. Chill and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several weeks.
Sparkling Cranberry-Ginger Margarita
- If you would like a cinnamon-sugar rim, mix together the cinnamon and sugar on a small plate. On another small plate, add water and lightly dip the rim of the serving glass into the water to moisten. Then, swirl the moistened rim in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set aside.
- Add the lime juice, tequila, cranberry cocktail juice, ginger liqueur, fresh ginger simple syrup and a handful of ice in a cocktail shaker. Put on the top and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Add ice to the serving glass and strain the margarita into the glass. Top with a splash of ginger beer or ginger ale. If desired, garnish with sugared cranberries. Enjoy!
Sugared Cranberry Garnish (Optional)
- In a small sauce pan, add ¼ cup sugar and water over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve sugar.
- Once the sugar dissolves, stir in the cranberries and turn off the heat. Make sure they’re well-coated with the simple syrup.
- On a large plate, spread the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Drain the cranberries and roll in the sugar. Allow to set on a wire rack for about an hour.
Notes
- To make in a 64-ounce pitcher with eight servings, use 8 limes, 2 cups tequila, 2 cups cranberry juice, 1 cup ginger liqueur, 1 cup fresh ginger simple syrup and 1 cup ginger beer or ginger ale. Add the ginger beer or ginger ale right before serving.
- To get the most juice out of the lime, I recommend firmly rolling the lime on the counter several times under the palm of your hand before cutting, and then use a handheld juicer to extract as much juice as possible.
- Ginger beer makes for a spicer cocktail while ginger ale makes for a sweeter cocktail. Both are delicious -- it just comes down to personal preference.
- For full tips, please see blog post.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1drink | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Sodium: 2mg | Sugar: 38g