Cherry Margaritas

in Beverages, Cherries, Cherries & Berries, Cinco de Mayo, Citrus, Fruit, Lime, Margaritas, Mexican & TexMex

Fresh Cherry Margaritas

With every trip to the grocery store over the last few weeks, we’ve picked up a big bag of cherries with 2-3 new recipes in mind. And then I don’t make any of them. Because there’s nothing wrong with standing at your kitchen island with a bag of cherries and a Diet Coke and calling it lunch.

Except that there’s no tequila.

And you know how much I love tequila.

Fresh Cherry Margaritas

Cherries are the It Fruit at the moment. My favorite way to “cook” with a seasonal It Fruit is to make a cocktail. So we blended those beautiful, fresh cherries with the magical ingredients that make margaritas and, not so surprisingly, we got a magical cherry margarita. It’s slightly sweet, a striking shade of red, and perfectly refreshing.

Magical.

Cherry Margaritas

Make the most of cherry season with margaritas made with fresh cherries, lime, and tequila.

Ingredients

  • For the homemade margarita mix:
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp sugar (or the equivalent in your favorite sweetener)
  • For the margarita:
  • Homemade margarita mix (above)
  • 24 cherries
  • 3 oz tequila
  • 2 oz orange liqueur
  • 2 oz blackberry liqueur (optional)

Instructions

  1. Stir together sugar and water over medium heat, just until the sugar has completely disolved and the mixture is clear.
  2. Stir in lime juice and pour into a blender.
  3. Pit cherries and place in the blender.
  4. Add tequila, orange liqueur, and blackberry liqueur, if using. (I find the blackberry liqueur really punches up the "dark berries" flavor. Omit if you don't have a reason to keep a big bottle of blackberry liqueur around. I do.)
  5. Blend 15-20 seconds and pour through a fine sieve into a pitcher.
  6. Use a rubber spatula to work the mixture around, getting as much of the liquid out as possible.
  7. Pour the strained margarita over ice and enjoy.

Notes

Yields: 2 drinks

Adapted from Fine Cooking via Annie's Eats

Estimated time: 15 minutes

22 comments… add one
  • These are so pretty! Love this idea!

  • These look so refreshing right now, I’m dying for one. Except I can’t seem to find cherries for anything less than $6 for a teeny tiny bag right now.

  • Jennifer

    Oh wow, these are so pretty! And, you’re right; there’s nothing wrong with standing at your island, double-fisting cherries and chugging diet coke!

  • Seriously, your photos keep getting better and better! Love this, going on my menu very soon.

  • I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love the color. Thank you.

  • I looove fresh cherries in my bevies – cherry mojitos are a favorite. But I love me some cherry margaritas too. Fresh cherries are just now making their way up around our parts – I can’t wait to pick some up!

  • Mmmm! A love summer drinkies-the fresh flavors, the beautiful colors, the sittin’ by the pool. I have a watermelon daiquiri featured on my blog today. I’m a rum kinda girl! 🙂

  • So gorgeous! I eyed the cherries last week but didn’t get any because I had no clue what to make and didn’t want to waste them!

  • I love that you post 2 of the best marg recipes known to man in a row, like it ain’t no thang! Gorgeous pictures.

    • I hit publish and thought, “Maybe I should have spread those out a little… Nah.” 🙂

  • I do the SAME THINGS with cherries. Just eat them. Straight up. For dinner. It’s awesome…but these might be awesome-r. Tequila tends to have that effect on fruit.

  • Gorgeous color!! I think getting a cherry pitter is in order 😀

  • As I read this, I am currently dominating a bag of cherries and calling it a late lunch. That and the brownies I had earlier. Haha!

  • Ciao, this is lovely, if you don’t mind I will pin one of the pics 🙂 for my Pinterest drink board!

    Alessandra

  • We’re on the same wavelength! Just posted margaritas, too. I need to try cherry ASAP, I’ve never done that! (And I like to think I’ve tried them all). Beautiful pictures!

  • Debra Kapellakis

    I love Cherries and Margarita’s! YUM!

  • Now that drink has a really great color and the addition of the blackberry liqueur makes it perfect.

  • Ashley L

    OMG, drinking this right now and its delicious! Didn’t have blackberry liqueur, but still tastes great! I’m going to freeze a bunch of the cherries I bought and will have to experiment with making this with thawed ones during the winter. So so good!

  • OMG! Cherry margaritas!! Why haven’t I heard about this sooner?! I love this idea!

  • I bookmarked these last summer and only now got around to making them. Delicious ! For ease, I used frozen bing cherries, and didn’t bother to strain. Was also happy to be able to use a cassis from a local winery 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe !

  • sandra

    Are these the sour cherries or the sweet ones?

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