This Thanksgiving Margarita is the perfect cocktail to help you make it through the holidays. It's a delicious drink with a cinnamon sugar rim and fun flavors. Make this cocktail for yourself, or make a batch of it for the whole party! With simple ingredients like fresh apple cider, tequila, orange juice, and more, this is a MUST!
One thing about me is that I will never ever turn down a good margarita! And when it's a big family gathering, I may need more than one to handle the holidays...there's always that one family member, LOL.
This thanksgiving margarita is the best cocktail recipe for sipping throughout the day while watching football, or to serve with your thanksgiving dinner! This sweet and tangy cocktail is the perfect balance with rich holiday foods like turkey or mashed potatoes.
To make the perfect thanksgiving margarita, you just need some tequila (preferably añejo or reposado tequila), good apple cider, a tiny bit of fresh orange juice, and a touch of pear juice to bring it all together!
To make it even more impressive, rim the glasses with some cinnamon sugar for a delicious treat! This drink is like an apple pie in a cocktail glass!
Table of Contents:
📖 Recipe Origins
Alright, let's be realistic. A traditional margarita obviously comes from Mexican culture. Thanksgiving margarita? Now that's definitely not from Mexico. But, let's discuss the origins of a classic margarita.
Just as margaritas have widely varying recipes, the history is a little murky too. It seems that the margarita was definitely invented in the early-mid 1900's in Mexico. When researching the creator of the margarita, a few different names come up. Most common of those names are Carlos "Danny" Herrera, claiming to make the margarita in 1938 in Tijuana, and Francisco "Pancho" Morales, claimed to make the margarita in 1942 in Juárez.
🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
🍸 Why you'll love my Thanksgiving Margarita
- Just four ingredients. Just tequila, apple cider, pear juice, and a bit of orange juice and you've got the perfect thanksgiving apple cider cocktail!
- Perfect for the holiday season. Full of the flavors of fall and warm spices, this delicious thanksgiving drink will warm you from the inside out! Definitely add to your thanksgiving menu!
- Goes well with dinner! The tanginess of this cocktail perfectly balances with the rich and heavy dinner served at Thanksgiving. If you desire a slightly sweeter cocktail, add a little simple syrup or agave nectar.
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tequila - I highly recommend using a darker tequila for this recipe, añejo is best but reposado will work too!
- Orange Juice - Fresh squeezed is always best! Plus, you can use the squeezed orange for rimming the glass. For a stronger drink, you could use orange liqueur.
- Apple Cider - Buy a high quality cider as this carries most of the flavor of the cocktail!
- Pear Juice - This is a rather unique ingredient, but it works very well in this recipe. I don't recommend substituting or omitting this.
- Cinnamon Sugar - Optional, but you may want to rim the glass with a cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Ice - For shaking and additional for serving if desired.
Tools and Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Citrus Juicer
📋 How to make a perfect Thanksgiving Margarita
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
Measure out 2 oz of tequila, 2 oz apple cider, 1 oz of pear juice, and squeeze ½ oz of orange juice.
If desired, mix 1 tablespoon cinnamon with 1 tablespoon sugar on a small plate.
Roll the edges of your glass with the remainder of the orange or with honey/agave, then dip the rim of the glass in the cinnamon sugar.
Step 2: Make the Cocktail
Add all of the liquids into a cocktail shaker along with a handful of ice cubes.
Close the lid and shake aggressively for at least 30 seconds.
Strain and pour over ice or without ice into your rimmed glass.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
If desired, top off the margarita with sparkling water, club soda, or even champagne.
Optionally garnish with apple slices, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, or any other fall-inspired ingredient!
Serve cold and enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
- Easily double, triple, or more this recipe to serve a crowd with a thanksgiving punch! Simply add the desired amount of all of the ingredients to a margarita pitcher and use a long spoon to thoroughly mix. Serve it in a pitcher without ice, then pour over ice to serve.
- I highly recommend using a darker tequila for this recipe, añejo is best but reposado will work too! Another dark liquor, like bourbon, could work here too!
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days without ice, garnishes, or club soda. Serve and add ice, garnishes, and club soda to serve (if desired).
Recipe FAQs
The most common is probably a red or white wine, but a fun thanksgiving margarita is delicious as well as a pumpkin spice margarita!
Thanksgiving food is so rich and heavy that a citrus-forward cocktail or a bright white wine can do a great job at balancing the flavors!
Yes! Store any pre-made thanksgiving margarita in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days without ice, garnishes, or club soda. Serve and add ice, garnishes, and club soda to serve (if desired).
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Thanksgiving Margarita (with Apple Cider)
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail jigger
Ingredients
- 2 oz Anejo Tequila
- 2 oz Apple cider
- 1 oz Pear juice
- ½ oz Orange juice fresh squeezed
- Ice for shaking and for serving.
Instructions
- Measure out 2 oz of tequila, 2 oz apple cider, 1 oz of pear juice, and squeeze ½ oz of orange juice.
- If desired, mix 1 tablespoon cinnamon with 1 tablespoon sugar on a small plate.
- Rim the edges of your glass with the remainder of the orange or with honey/agave, then dip in the cinnamon sugar.
- Add all of the liquids into a cocktail shaker along with a handful of ice cubes.
- Close the lid and shake aggressively for at least 30 seconds.
- Strain and pour over ice or without ice into your rimmed glass.
- If desired, top off the margarita with sparkling water, club soda, or even champagne.
- Optionally garnish with apple slices, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, or any other fall-inspired ingredient!
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Notes
- Easily double, triple, or more this recipe to serve a crowd! Simply add the desired amount of all of the ingredients to a large pitcher and use a long spoon to thoroughly mix. Serve it in a pitcher without ice, then pour over ice to serve.
- I highly recommend using a darker tequila for this recipe, añejo is best but reposado will work too! Another dark liquor, like bourbon, could work here too!
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days without ice, garnishes, or club soda. Serve and add ice, garnishes, and club soda to serve (if desired).
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