Recipe: Cranberry Pitcher Margaritas

updated Jan 29, 2020
thanksgiving
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Credit: Diana Yen
A quick four-ingredient recipe for pitcher margaritas flavored with cranberry juice, perfect for the Thanksgiving season.

Serves 6 to 8

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(Image credit: Diana Yen)

The best cocktails don’t require a whole lot of effort, but win accolades with friends. This is one of those cocktails. It starts as a classic crowd-pleaser — the margarita — and then leans into fall with the help of plenty of tart cranberry juice. If you’re hosting Friendsgiving this year, this is the easy pitcher drink to serve while the turkey is roasting and friends trickle in with stuffing and mashed potatoes and pies. It comes together in a matter of minutes and may disappear just as quickly.

(Image credit: Diana Yen)

A 5-Minute Cocktail for Friendsgiving and Beyond

This twist on margaritas couldn’t be more fitting for the season. It starts with the basic formula — tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice — before going off on its own by swapping some of that lime juice for equally tangy cranberry juice.

The result is a ruby-toned cocktail, garnished with plenty of fresh cranberries and lime slices, that tastes of fall. It’s a winning drink to serve at Friendsgiving, for sure, but since it’s as easy as it is festive, don’t be surprised if you’re tempted to make it again for Thanksgiving Day and into the holiday season.

(Image credit: Diana Yen)

Cranberry Pitcher Margaritas

A quick four-ingredient recipe for pitcher margaritas flavored with cranberry juice, perfect for the Thanksgiving season.

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups

    blanco tequila

  • 4 cups

    100% cranberry juice (not cranberry juice cocktail)

  • 3/4 cup

    orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Triple Sec

  • 1/2 cup

    freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 4 limes)

  • Ice

  • 1 cup

    fresh cranberries

  • 2

    medium limes, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Place the tequila, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, lime juice, and ice in a large pitcher, and stir to combine. Top with the cranberries and lime slices.

  2. Pour into glasses, adding more ice from the pitcher to each glass as needed. Scoop some of the cranberries and lime slices into each glass when serving.