Description
These delicious and festive margaritas are made with pomegranate juice, freshly made clementine juice, tequila, orange liqueur, and a homemade rosemary cinnamon simple syrup! Topped with a cinnamon salty sugar rim for the perfect holiday or special occasion cocktail.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Rosemary Cinnamon Simple Syrup (Makes Extra):
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
For the Cinnamon Salty Sugar Rim:
- 2 tablespoons coarse margarita salt (or kosher/sea salt)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 lime wedge (for rimming)
For the Fresh Clementine Juice (Makes approx. 1/2 – 3/4 cup):
- 4 clementines, peeled
For the Margarita (per serving):
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Fresh Clementine Juice (from recipe above)
- 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) pomegranate juice (100% juice recommended)
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Rosemary Cinnamon Simple Syrup (from recipe above, adjust to taste)
- 1 ounce tequila (Blanco or Reposado, 100% agave recommended)
- 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur like Cointreau)
- Crushed ice (or ice cubes)
Garnishes:
- Lime slices
- Pomegranate arils
- Small cinnamon sticks
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
1. Make the Rosemary Cinnamon Simple Syrup:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary sprigs.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Once boiling, remove from heat. Let the syrup steep and cool completely with the cinnamon and rosemary in it (at least 30 minutes, longer for more infusion).
- Once cooled, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the cinnamon sticks and rosemary sprigs. Store leftover syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
2. Make the Cinnamon Salty Sugar Rim:
- On a small, flat plate, combine the coarse margarita salt, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir with your fingers or a fork until evenly mixed.
3. Make the Fresh Clementine Juice:
- Add the peeled clementines to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a cup or bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the pulp.
4. Prepare the Margarita Glass:
- Rub a lime wedge around the rim of your margarita or coupe glass to moisten it.
- Dip the moistened rim into the cinnamon salty sugar mixture, rotating the glass to coat the rim evenly.
- Fill the prepared glass with crushed ice.
5. Make the Margarita:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
- Add the fresh lime juice, fresh clementine juice, pomegranate juice, 1 ounce of the cooled Rosemary Cinnamon Simple Syrup, tequila, and Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur) to the shaker.
- Secure the lid tightly and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, or until the outside of the shaker is very cold.
6. Serve:
- Strain the mixture from the shaker into the prepared, ice-filled glass.
- Garnish with a lime slice, pomegranate arils, a small cinnamon stick, and/or a fresh rosemary sprig, if desired.
- Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Simple Syrup: Ensure the syrup is completely cool before using in the cocktail. Adjust the amount used based on your desired sweetness.
- Clementine Juice: Freshly blended and strained clementine juice provides the best flavor.
- Tequila: Use a good quality 100% agave tequila.
- Orange Liqueur: Grand Marnier adds richness; Cointreau or Triple Sec are good alternatives.
- Storage: The simple syrup can be stored in the fridge. The cocktail is best made fresh.