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Redcurrant margarita

Name: Redcurrant margarita
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Serves 10
Ingredients: 300g redcurrants, plus extra to garnish; 150g caster sugar; ¼ tsp fine salt, plus extra to serve; Juice 2 limes, plus extra wheels to garnish; 500ml tequila blanco; 200ml triple sec; TajÍn seasoning or chilli powder to dust

By: Tom Shingler
Head of food, delicious.

Published: 21 Nov 24
Updated: 21 Nov 24

Ideal when you’re pining for a taste of sunshine in the depths of winter, this margarita is flavoured and turned bright red by an intense redcurrant syrup. Make-ahead and stash in the fridge or freezer ready for festive entertaining.

Browse more winter cocktail recipes.

Easy
December 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 10
Hands-on time 15 min, plus chilling

Browse more winter cocktail recipes.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 231kcals
Fat: 0g
Protein: 0g
Carbohydrates: 20g (20g sugars)
Fibre: 0g
Salt: 0.2g

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Before you start

MAKE AHEAD This cocktail will keep indefinitely in the fridge or freezer.

The natural pectin in the redcurrants may cause the syrup to turn a little jelly-like in the freezer. Just give the mix a good shake or stir to dissolve it back into the liquid.

Before you start

MAKE AHEAD This cocktail will keep indefinitely in the fridge or freezer.

The natural pectin in the redcurrants may cause the syrup to turn a little jelly-like in the freezer. Just give the mix a good shake or stir to dissolve it back into the liquid.

Ingredients

300g redcurrants, plus extra to garnish
150g caster sugar
¼ tsp fine salt, plus extra to serve
Juice 2 limes, plus extra wheels to garnish
500ml tequila blanco
200ml triple sec
TajÍn seasoning or chilli powder to dust

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Method

Put the redcurrants, sugar, salt and 150ml water in a pan. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes, squashing the currants with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice, then strain through a fine sieve into a freezerproof container/jug/bottle (one with a lid). Leave to cool.
Add the tequila and triple sec, stir to combine, then cover and keep in the freezer until ready to serve.
To serve, dip the rim of a glass in water, then salt mixed with a little Tajín or chilli powder. Fill the glass with ice, then pour in the cocktail. Garnish with a sprig of redcurrants and a wheel of lime.

Recipe from December 2024 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 231kcals
Fat: 0g
Protein: 0g
Carbohydrates: 20g (20g sugars)
Fibre: 0g
Salt: 0.2g

delicious. tips

TOM’S BOTTLED COCKTAIL TIPS AND KNOW-HOW

Most – but not all – cocktails can be mixed in advance. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Take it with a pinch of salt You’ll notice a tiny amount of salt in this cocktail recipe. It’s a trick I picked up from a master mixologist a few years ago that I swear by. Just like in food, salt opens up the palate to make your cocktail taste more of itself (without tasting salty). It’s a subtle yet effortless improvement – and a neat talking point.

Enjoy the water feature Cocktails are shaken or served with plenty of ice not only to cool them down, but also to dilute the mixture with a little water. This tempers the harshness of the alcohol, allowing you to taste the cocktail more. If you’re pre-mixing cocktails designed to be served in glasses without ice, you need to add some water to account for the dilution.

Stay chilled Pre-mixed cocktails can be kept in the freezer, meaning you can make them ahead of time and they’ll be perfectly chilled at all times. Alcohol doesn’t freeze, but if you have a higher concentration of non-alcoholic liquids in your cocktail (fruit juices or water to account for dilution, for example), they can become a little slushy. Don’t fret – a good shake of the container or bottle will break up the slush and remix the cocktail in an instant, ready to pour.

Master the golden ratio The beauty of cocktails is that they’re easily scaled up – you just need to keep the ratios the same. This recipe makes enough for 10 drinks, but for bigger gatherings the recipe be doubled, tripled, quadrupled or more.