A Holiday Cocktail for All: Cranberry Basil Margarita


*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you!) if you make a purchase using any of these links.*

Festive cranberry basil margarita recipe made with Hornitos Tequila by southern blogger Stephanie Ziajka from Diary of a Debutante

The holiday season, aka heaven for all Pinterest-loving party planners, is finally here! Every year I host an annual Christmas party for my friends and family, and every year I choose a different holiday cocktail as my signature drink. Champagne is typically my go-to base; however, I’ve exhausted just about every flavor of mimosa under the sun, including sweet green pear mimosas. Hence, for 2015 I decided to change it up and add a fun twist to the already-popular cranberry margarita. What makes cranberry juice taste even more festive? Basil! This cranberry basil margarita recipe is simple and ridiculously easy to make. It requires under five minutes of prep time, and it tastes fresh, festive, and just plain delicious.

Here’s what you’ll need to make an individual Cranberry Basil Margarita (substitute and add supplemental flavoring as you see fit): Margarita Salt for rim | 3/4 cups tequila of choice (I used 100% pure agave Hornitos)| 1/2 cup Triple Sec | 1 cup Cranberry Juice | 1/2 cup freshly-squeezed Lime Juice (equivalent to 1 lime) | 4-6 Basil Leaves | Frozen Cranberries for chilling and decor. Keep reading for the full recipe, including step-by-step instructions. There’s also a recipe card below that you can save/share/print for safe keeping.

Cranberry Basil Margarita

Cranberry Basil Margarita

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

If you need refreshing holiday cocktail inspiration, look no further than this fresh, festive, and ultimately delicious cranberry basil margarita recipe. Garnish yours with sugared cranberries for an extra hint of sweetness!

Ingredients

  • Margarita Salt
  • 3/4 cups tequila
  • 1/2 cup Triple Sec
  • 1 cup cranberry juice
  • 1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice (equivalent to the juice of roughly 4 limes)
  • 3-4 fresh basil leaves
  • Fresh cranberries (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Using a lime wedge to wet the rims, dip four cocktail glasses in margarita salt.
  2. Muddle the fresh basil leaves in the bottom of a pitcher. Add in the tequila, Triple Sec, cranberry juice, and freshly-squeezed lime juice. Stir thoroughly
  3. Fill four prepared cocktail glasses with ice. Divide cranberry basil margaritas among four glasses and garnish with fresh (or frozen) cranberries and lime slices. Serve chilled (adding ice to the cocktail glasses as necessary) and enjoy responsibly!

Notes

Recipe Tips

  • If you're serving cocktails individually (as opposed to in a pitcher), combine 1/4th of all ingredients in a cocktail shaker along with a good amount of ice. Shake thoroughly until chilled and strain into a prepared cocktail glass. 
  • For an even stronger basil flavor, muddle 1-2 large basil leaves at the bottom of each prepared cocktail glass, too.
  • Garnish your cranberry basil margaritas with sugared cranberries instead of regular for an extra hint of sweetness!

Nutrition Information
Yield 4Serving Size 6 ounces
Amount Per ServingCalories 247Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 257mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 1gSugar 20gProtein 0g

Nutritional information isn't always accurate and can vary based on a number of factors, including but not limited to discrepancies among brands, precision of measurements, and freshness of ingredients.


Festive cranberry basil margarita recipe made with Hornitos Tequila by southern blogger Stephanie Ziajka from Diary of a DebutanteFestive cranberry basil margarita recipe made with Hornitos Tequila by southern blogger Stephanie Ziajka from Diary of a Debutante

After you’ve got  your bartending essentials together, salt the rim(s) of your cocktail glass. Next, combine the tequila, Triple Sec, Simple Syrup, cranberry juice, lime juice, and basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Shake thoroughly. Serve in glass over ice or frozen cranberries (or both) for an added holiday touch. Garnish with lime slices. For added basil flavor, muddle basil leaves at the bottom of each glass.

Festive cranberry basil margarita recipe made with Hornitos Tequila by southern blogger Stephanie Ziajka from Diary of a DebutanteFestive cranberry basil margarita recipe made with Hornitos Tequila by southern blogger Stephanie Ziajka from Diary of a Debutante Festive cranberry basil margarita recipe made with Hornitos Tequila by southern blogger Stephanie Ziajka from Diary of a Debutante Festive cranberry basil margarita recipe made with Hornitos Tequila by southern blogger Stephanie Ziajka from Diary of a Debutante

What drinks are you mixing up this holiday season? I’m all ears for cocktail recipe ideas for 2016 (and throughout the remainder of 2015, as well). If you’re looking for non-tequila beverage variety, other favorite holiday cocktail recipes of mine are these delicious espresso peppermint macchiato drinks and these refreshing holiday pomegranate spritzers. Enjoy!

Share:

3 thoughts on “A Holiday Cocktail for All: Cranberry Basil Margarita

  1. Pingback: Delicious Holiday Pom Spritzer Cocktail | Diary of a Debutante

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *