Cranberry Margarita

I am thrilled to partner with Cazcabel Tequila to bring you this wonderfully festive cocktail – a sure way to get the party started come Christmas time (or well before that – it’s good to practice your cocktail skills). What’s more, one lucky reader will get the chance to do some mixing of their own because there’s a bottle of Cazcabel Blanco up for grabs – scroll down to the bottom of the post for details on how to enter.

I wanted this Cranberry Margarita to be on the sweet side and after a bit of experimentation I realised that agave syrup is the perfect way to add sweetness but still be big on flavour. You can replace the agave syrup with sugar syrup if you like. For a sharper tasting margarita replace the orange with lime juice. See the notes for adding a salt rim.

Cranberry Margarita
Makes 1
60ml | 2fl oz Cazcabel Blanco Tequila
50ml | 1.6 fl oz cranberry juice
30ml |  1fl oz Cointreau (you can also use Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
10ml | 1/2 tbsp agave syrup
juice of half an orange, strained to remove pulp
fresh cranberries to garnish

Method

1. If you can, chill your glasses in the freezer – it makes a big difference. I used these beautiful glasses from Anthropologie (a gift from me to the blog. Or from me to me).
2. Half fill your shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients and shake hard for 30 seconds.
3. Strain into your chilled glass. Thread a couple of fresh cranberries on to a cocktail stick to garnish.

Notes: Fill a shallow plate with lime juice. Fill a second plate with salt. Dip your glass into the lime juice and then into the salt to frost the glass if you like. Or use a mix of sugar and salt.
You can add some crushed ice to your glass if you like – this is a strong drink.