Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails

Strawberry Margarita

By
Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 06/18/23
A vibrant orange-pink-colored, blended Strawberry Margarita cocktail in a stemmed cocktail glass with a strawberry on the rim for garnish.

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The classic Margarita, made by combining tequila, fresh lime juice, and triple sec or agave nectar, is one of the world’s most popular drinks for good reason—it’s easy to make and nicely balances zesty acid with spirit and sweetness. The simple, light, citrus-forward flavor profile of a classic Margarita also makes it an ideal canvas for experimentation with different flavor combinations. One of the most enduring of these variations? The iconic Strawberry Margarita.

Why the Strawberry Margarita Works

Bursting with summer flavor, the Strawberry Margarita works by bringing a component of red berry flavor to an otherwise acidic and citrus-heavy cocktail. Far beyond simply making a fruitier drink, the addition of strawberries helps to tamp down on the Margarita's naturally high citric acid content, by providing a balance of natural fruit sweetness rather than depending only on processed sugars in ingredients like triple sec.

In short, by adding strawberries, you'll get is a brighter cocktail with balanced citrus-to-sweetness ratio, and flavor accents that can play across a wider range of the palate than a classic three-ingredient Margarita.

Shaken or Blended Frozen?

If you have access to a blender, this popular frozen cocktail couldn’t be easier to make. All the ingredients can be added directly to the blender with ice and pureed until slushy. Multiply the ingredients by the number of drinkers to whip up a crowd-pleasing batch.

If a blender is not available, or if you're simply looking for a thinner texture, this Strawberry Margarita recipe also works well served on the rocks. Simply add the strawberries and agave nectar to a shaker tin and muddle together into a pulp-like consistency. Once you're finished, add everything else, plus ice, and shake. Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over fresh ice.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces blanco tequila

  • 1/2 ounce triple sec

  • 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled

  • 1 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1/2 ounce agave nectar

  • Garnish: 1 whole fresh strawberry

Steps

  1. Add the tequila, triple sec, strawberries, lime juice and agave nectar into a blender with a cup of ice and blend until a smooth, slushy texture is achieved.

  2. Pour into a Margarita or cocktail glass.

  3. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

What Is the Best Tequila for a Strawberry Margarita?

A blanco tequila is the typical choice for a Margarita because it won’t overpower the other ingredients in the cocktail. If you prefer a more confectionary flavor profile reposado or añejo tequila can be used to add a rich layer of vanilla and baking spice from the barrel aging.

Whatever you choose, just be sure to check that the label says 100 percent pure agave, so you know you’re getting a quality product.

Can You Make a Margarita Without Triple Sec?

If you don’t have a triple sec, you can make your margaritas with just agave nectar in place of the triple sec as the sweetener. This style of Margarita is known as a Tommy’s Margarita.