This is the perfect margarita recipe for Thanksgiving, so I'm calling it a Thanksgiving Margarita! Apple cider and maple syrup are so tasty mixed with tequila, and caramel sauce on the glass rim makes things even tastier. It's such a cozy margarita for the fall season!
Looking for some more apple cider cocktails? Try out the tasty Apple Cider Martini, the elegant and bubbly Apple Cider Mimosa or the super easy Fireball Apple Cider recipe.
For more Thanksgiving cocktails, try out the easy Cranberry Whiskey sour, the decadent Pumpkin Martini or the Cranberry Margarita!
Thanksgiving Flavors
This recipe brings together the tasty fall flavors of apple, maple syrup and cinnamon for a delicious and flavorful sip! Since I always think of apple pie as part of Thanksgiving, I wanted that apple cinnamon flavor to come through.
Ingredients
For this drink, you'll need tequila, of course! You can use blanco or reposado. I opted for Espolón Reposado Tequila.
You'll also need a triple sec liqueur (I used Cointreau liqueur), fresh apple cider, maple syrup and lime juice.
To add a subtle cinnamon flavor, use a whole cinnamon stick added in to your cocktail shaker. You can also use cinnamon syrup in place of the maple syrup for more cinnamon flavor.
To add a little extra, I used caramel sauce on the rim of the glass. Then, I added on some salt, but you can also use cinnamon sugar, or a mix of the salt and sugar.
For another optional garnish, you can use some apple slices and another whole cinnamon stick.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe would make a great mocktail! Just use some alcohol substitutes, like Lyre's Agave Bianco and Lyre's Orange Sec, for the tequila and triple sec liqueur.
I actually really love this cocktail when you use apple cider vinegar instead of the lime juice. A little goes a long way, but the apple taste just makes everything even more apple-y!
If you want to have this along with your Thanksgiving leftovers, try adding a spoonful of cranberry sauce to your cocktail shaker to add even more holiday flavor!
Equipment
You'll need a few basic bar tools to make this one, like a jigger, cocktail shaker and cocktail strainer.
For the cocktail serving glass, an old fashioned glass works great, or a stemless wine glass.
A couple of small dishes will come in handy if you're adding the caramel to the glass rim with salt or cinnamon sugar.
Note: check out the the products from A Bar Above if you're looking for new bar tools! You can get 10% off using my discount code, LKDrinks. Their bar tools are awesome and dishwasher friendly!
Instructions
Start out by dipping the rim of your glass into the caramel sauce to coat it, and then dip it into the salt (or cinnamon sugar if you prefer it more sweet).
Set the glass aside while you make the drink.
Add the lime juice, maple syrup, Cointreau and apple cider to your cocktail shaker.
Add in the tequila, and then toss in a cinnamon stick for a subtle cinnamon flavor.
Shake it up! Shake well, about 15-20 times.
Fill your serving glass with fresh ice, and then strain the drink into the glass.
Add on your apple and cinnamon garnishes, and serve!
Hint: After you add the caramel and salt (or sugar) to the glass rim, stick the glass in the fridge or freezer to help keep the caramel from dripping.
Top tip
This recipe makes a great pitcher cocktail! Just multiply all of the ingredients by how many drinks you want to make (or use the handy calculator in the recipe below).
Add everything to a large pitcher and then add ½ ounce of water per drink, so you won't have to shake it with ice. Keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve!
You can make it up to an hour in advance.
📖 Recipe
Thanksgiving Margarita
Equipment
- Citrus juicer (for citrus juice)
- Knife and cutting board (for fruit)
Ingredients
Garnish (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon caramel sauce
- 1 Tablespoon salt or cinnamon sugar (or a mix of both)
- 3 apple slices
- 1 cinnamon stick
Cocktail
- ½ ounce lime juice (or ¼ ounce apple cider vinegar)
- ½ ounce maple syrup
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 1½ ounces apple cider
- 1½ ounces tequila (blanco or reposado)
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Add the caramel sauce to a small dish and the salt to a second dish.
- Dip the rim of the glass into the caramel, and then into the salt. Set the glass aside while you make the drink.
- Add the lime juice, maple syrup, triple sec, apple cider and tequila to a cocktail shaker, and drop in the cinnamon stick.
- Fill the shaker with ice, seal it and shake about 15-20 times.
- Add fresh ice to your serving glass and strain the drink into the glass.
- Place the apple slices and second cinnamon stick on as a garnish, and serve! (Note that you can use the same cinnamon stick if you prefer.)
Kimberly says
I can't get enough of apple cinnamon 🙂 Let me know if you have questions about this recipe!