Christmas Cranberry Orange Margaritas: The Perfect Spiked Beverage for Holiday Gatherings by Ann Marie G. Halstead

I'm not much of a drinker but I do appreciate a signature cocktail, especially at the holidays. The seasonal and more everyday flavors come together beautifully in this holiday recipe. I drink it's best described as festive and flavorful (it is a bit strong, too, so keep that in mind!). The spices will fill your kitchen with the scents of Christmas. If you'd like to make the cocktail extra special, you can "rim" the glasses with a cinnamon and sugar mixture; see below.

If you'd prefer to make this a "mocktail" (without alcohol), it's easy to do so. Simply omit the alcohol from the ingredients list and add something to give the drink a little bubbly, such as lemon-lime soda, club soda or tonic water. Cheers!

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Cranberry Syrup

1 cup cranberry cocktail (not pure cranberry juice)
1 cup cane sugar, plus a bit more for rimming (optional)
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a bit more for rimming (optional)
½ cup cranberries,
frozen or fresh
Cranberry Orange Margaritas:
3 ounces silver tequila
2 ounces Cointreau
3 ounces cranberry cocktail
1½ ounces lemon juice
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce Spiced Cranberry Syrup
ice
cinnamon sticks, for garnish (optional)

Here's how to make it:

Make the syrup: Combine the cranberry cocktail, cane sugar, ginger, cinnamon and cranberries in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat, bring to a strong simmer, stirring often. Once the sugar has dissolved and the cranberries are popping and splitting (about 5 minutes), remove the pan from the heat. Run the syrup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the cranberries to extract the juice. Let the syrup cool. Once cool, you can bottle and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

If you’d like a cinnamon and sugar rim, combine sugar and cinnamon on a small plate. Fill a small bowl with water. Dip glasses in water to wet the rims, then dip them in the cinnamon & sugar mixture.

Make the margaritas: Using a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, Cointreau, cranberry cocktail, lemon juice, orange juice and the cranberry syrup you made above. Add lots of ice on top. Place the lid on the cocktail shaker tightly and shake enthusiastically, until the outside of the shaker has condensation and feels very cold.

Strain the spiced margaritas over the two glasses filled with ice. Garnish with cinnamon sticks (optional).

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Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.

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