Margaritas always hit the spot. They’re sweet and salty and refreshing in a way that dry martinis could never match. The classic margarita with lime is a staple when you’re ordering sizzling fajitas or a taco dinner. But what about a grapefruit margarita? It might not be on the menu of your favorite Mexican restaurant, but you can bank on it being a hit if you shake (or blend) it up at home.
This sunset-hued margarita is a play on the flavors of the paloma, a classic Mexican cocktail made with tequila and grapefruit soda. Served poolside or at the picnic table, for birthday bashes or wedding showers, you’re definitely going to want to make a pitcher-sized batch of this recipe.
Ingredients for Grapefruit Margarita
- Grapefruit: You’ll need grapefruit juice to flavor the drink and fresh grapefruit to garnish, but you can always leave the garnish out.
- Tequila: We recommend blanco tequila over gold so the clear color keeps the margarita bright-looking and more citrus-leaning. (The gold tends to take on a more oaky flavor.)
- Triple Sec: Used in classic margaritas and grapefruit margaritas, Triple Sec gives the cocktail a hint of orange flavor and keeps that familiarity of a classic margarita.
Directions
Step 1: Salt the rim
Moisten the rim of one cocktail glass (a margarita glass or hurricane glass will work) with a grapefruit slice. If desired, sprinkle salt on a plate, and dip the rim in the salt. Fill the glass with ice.
Step 2: Shake the ingredients
Add tequila, Triple Sec and grapefruit juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice, make sure the lid is on tight, and shake until frost forms on the outside of the shaker. This will take 15 to 20 seconds.
Step 3: Strain and garnish
Strain into the prepared glass, and top with grenadine. The grenadine will sink to the bottom and give the drink a beautiful sunset presentation. Garnish the rim with a grapefruit slice, or dunk a slice into the drink itself.
Recipe Variations
- Turn this into a frozen grapefruit margarita: We love an on-the-rocks moment, but frozen margaritas are splendid on ultra-hot days. Blend the tequila, Triple Sec, grapefruit juice and grenadine in a blender with 1 cup crushed ice. Process until smooth, and pour into your salt-rimmed glasses.
- Rim the glasses with Tajin seasoning: A Tajin rim around the glass will give you a little kick of heat to balance the sweetness of the grapefruit and grenadine. It also totally plays into the drink’s gorgeous color theme.
- Garnish with candied or dried citrus: Instead of dunking a grapefruit wedge into the glass, give your margarita a craft-cocktail upgrade with candied citrus or dehydrated grapefruit slices.
Can you store grapefruit margaritas?
You can if it’s on the rocks and not frozen! An on-the-rocks grapefruit margarita (minus the rocks) will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Keep the ice out so it won’t water down the cocktail. Store multiple servings in a covered pitcher, and store single servings in covered Mason jars.
Grapefruit Margarita Tips
What can you substitute for Triple Sec?
Another orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau could replace the Triple Sec, but it may slightly alter the flavor of the grapefruit margarita. Note that Grand Marnier and Cointreau both have 40% alcohol by volume and Triple Sec is often only in the 20% to 30% range.
What is the difference between a grapefruit margarita and a paloma?
A grapefruit margarita uses grapefruit juice versus a paloma, which uses grapefruit soda. There is also Triple Sec and grenadine in the margarita, which aren’t present in a paloma.
