National Margarita Day is Feb. 22 — so what better way to celebrate than with a salt, lime and tequila?
Instead of celebrating the occasion with the same old tequila-and-triple-sec combo you’ve likely been slurping down for years, elevate the experience with one of the recipes below.
- Watermelon jalapeño margarita
- Blood orange margarita
- Blueberry margarita
- It takes two to mango margarita
- Pear and rosemary margarita
- Snow-white coconut margarita
- Spring break margarita
- Cranberry margarita
NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY: UNUSUAL MARGARITA-MAKING TECHNIQUES TO TRY
1. Watermelon jalapeño margarita
Spice is nice, but sometimes it might be a little much, especially if indulging with a plate of chips and spicy salsa.
Sweeten the pitcher with watermelon juice and taste summer no matter what time of year it is.
This watermelon margarita will have you thinking of summer all year. (Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Sesión Blanco
- 1 ½ ounces watermelon juice
- 1 to 2 pieces jalapeños, muddled
- ⅔ ounces lime
- ⅓ ounces agave (depending on taste)
Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake and strain over ice into a rocks glass with a spice-salted rim. Use chili salt, chili powder, Tajin or crushed black peppercorns on your rim or sprinkled on your cocktail for an extra kick.
2. Blood orange margarita
If you're looking for more of a winter-time margarita, use blood orange juice for your citrus.
The deep reds and oranges of the fruit pair well aesthetically with a black salt rim.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Sesión Reposado
- ½ ounce Solerno liqueur
- ⅔ ounce blood orange juice
- ⅔ ounce lime
- ⅙ ounce agave
- Black salt
Add all ingredients (aside from salt) to a shaker.
Shake, then strain over ice into a rocks glass. Salt the rim first to avoid a spill.
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3. Blueberry margarita
Ed McFarland, the chef and owner of Ed’s Lobster Bar, hatched up this visually (and palatably) bright tequila-focused cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Espolon Blanco Tequila
- 1½ ounces lime juice
- 1½ ounces blueberry juice*
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
This blueberry margarita is a fruity twist on the classic drink. (Dickson Lee/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
Pour all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a glass with crushed ice. Makes one cocktail.
For the blueberry juice: Mix 1 pint of blueberries, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water in a saucepot. Heat on high to soften the berries. Once cooled, pass the berries through a strainer and chill.
4. It takes two to ‘mango margarita’
This sweet and spicy concoction combines fan-favorite Arizona mango tea with hot sauce for an extra kick.
You can create this margarita in a pitcher blended overtop ice or on the rocks with a salted rim.
Ingredients:
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce agave nectar
- 1 ½ ounces Arizona Mucho Mango
- 1 ½ ounces Jose Cuervo Especial Silver
- 2 dashes Mexican hot sauce
- 1 cup ice
Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend until ice is smooth.
Serve up with lime wedge.
5. Pear and rosemary margarita
Do National Margarita Day in style with mild pear and earthy rosemary aromas. Add a pear twist to the margarita to create an Instagram-worthy cocktail.
Try this pear and rosemary margarita for National Margarita Day for a unique flavored cocktail. (Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces Sesión Blanco
- ½ ounces Poire Williams
- ½ ounce lime juice
- 2 sprigs rosemary (one for garnish)
Add tequila, Poire Williams and lime juice to a shaker with a few sprigs of rosemary. Shake with ice and fine strain. Pour into a coupe cocktail glass, garnished with a rosemary sprig and or pear twist.
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6. Snow-white coconut margarita
If you like pina coladas this coconut-heavy margarita might be the one for you. Getting caught in the rain is purely optional, though.
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces Patrón Silver
- 1 ½ ounces Patrón Citrónge Orange
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 ½ ounces coconut cream
- 1 ½ ounces coconut milk
Combine coconut cream and coconut milk in a shaker and shake thoroughly; pour remaining ingredients in and shake. Strain into glass and garnish with salt, if desired.
7. Spring break margarita
Get ready for a tropical vacation with this spring break margarita. This drink was the 2011 winner of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville National Margarita Day recipe so it has to be good.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Silver tequila
- .5 oz paradise passion fruit
- 3 oz margarita mix
- ½ cup frozen mixed berries
Place all ingredients into a blender cup, add ice and blend together until the consistency is smooth. Garnish this margarita with a pineapple wedge.
Cranberry margaritas are a popular spin on the drink. While they are commonly served during the Christmas season, they can be enjoyed at any time of the year. (James Allen Walker/MCT/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
8. Cranberry margarita
Cranberry cocktails aren't just for the Christmas season. Try this recipe from the Muy Bueno cookbook blog anytime of year.
Ingredients:
For cranberry purée:
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 16 ounce package of fresh cranberries
For drink:
- ½ ounces of your favorite tequila
- ½ ounce of Grand Marnier
- 2 ounces of cranberry purée
The first step in making this drink is making your cranberry purée.
For the recipe, grab a saucepan and melt sugar in the orange juice over medium heat. Add in cranberries and cook all of it together over low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool.
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In a shaker, add crushed ice, tequila, Grand Marnier and two ounces of the cranberry purée. Shake everything together. Lastly, pour the drink into a sugar rimmed glass.
No matter which of these margaritas you choose to indulge in, they are sure to put a twist on a classic cocktail.
Alexandra Deabler contributed reporting.