We put our boat in the lake last night and went for 2020’s inaugural boat ride. You guys, it was absolutely glorious! It was a gorgeous sunny evening, albeit a little chilly by the time 7 p.m. rolled around. That first boat ride of the season is amongst one of my favorites. It reminds me of all the fun stuff that goes along with summer nights: cookouts, bonfires, s’mores, every night on the boat, cocktails… Mmmmm, did someone say {craft} cocktails? Check out this Blood Orange Margarita – it’s the summer cocktail of your dreams!
Citrus Choice: Blood Oranges
My favorite amongst crafting fun, homemade cocktails is probably the margarita. The whole sweet-sour-salty thing has my mouth watering just thinking about it! Gahhhh! So, let’s get on with it, already! Here you go with my version of a Blood Orange Margarita!
Why Blood Oranges? Well, because they are JUST. SO. PRETTY. I mean, can you refuse the sight of those dark {blood} red orange sections contrasting with the bright orange outsides? No. The answer is an emphatic no.
And the juice! Don’t even get me started with the delicious and beautiful juice from blood oranges. It’s so unbelievably bright red – almost hard to believe something that color comes from a little orange!
I do recognize that blood oranges are not always readily available in every part of the country, so just sub your favorite orange if you need to. I can usually find them during the winter and spring here in Minnesota, though. Recently, I’ve found loads of them! YAY! So, I’ve been stocking up because they last a really long time in the refrigerator if stored properly.
Tools + Tequila
I like to use a hand juicer tool to juice my oranges when I need a small amount of juice. Then, I take that juice and combine it with my favorite Tequila Blanco and Cointreau. I don’t have a brand preference for tequila – just make sure it’s a high-quality white tequila. I always think if you’re going to go through the effort to create a craft cocktail, it should taste like perfection.
Cocktail Prep
Last – are you Team Salted Rim OR Team Unsalted Rim?
I’m team Salted Rim when it comes to sweet-sour margaritas. These blood oranges do lend a nice amount of sweetness to the drink! I usually take a slice of lime or blood orange and carefully rub it around the rim of the glass, then tip the glass upside down in a small pile of Kosher salt. I use Kosher simply because that’s what I always have on hand for recipes. If you’re a mixologist-in-training, use something fancy! Maybe even add some smashed up herbs or zest to your salt – get a little crazy!
After I’ve prepped the glass with ice cubes and a pretty salty rim, I shake, shake, shake that blood orange/Cointreau/Tequila/Honey mixture and pour it right into the glass!
Perfection!
What are your thoughts? I’d love for you to try this one out for Cinco de Mayo (it’s coming up NEXT week!) or any night of the summer. Leave a comment below – I LOVE hearing from you guys! If you want to keep going on this “margarita theme,” please check out my recipe for Frozen Margarita Pie – it’s absolutely divine! And…after you’re done here, jump back over to the blog and check out the other super fun recipes I have in store for you!
Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.
xoxo
Blood Orange Margarita
Blood oranges, abundant in the spring time, are a beautiful addition to a margarita! Juice a few at home to add a brightly colored splash of amazing juice to your sweet-sour cocktail!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces blood orange juice (can sub regular orange juice if blood oranges are not available, but color will not be as vibrant)
- 1 ounce Cointreau
- 1 ounce Tequila blanco
- 1 tsp. honey or agave
- Optional: rock or kosher salt (for rimming the glass)
Directions
- Step 1 Squeeze orange juice: I use a manual, hand-held citrus juicer, but whatever your preference is, juice 1-2 blood oranges making sure no seeds or pulp gets into the juice and set aside.
- Step 2 In a shaker bottle, combine the blood orange juice, Cointreau, Tequila Blanco and honey/agave.
- Step 3 Give the mixture a really good shake until well blended.
- Step 4 If rimming the edge of your glass with salt is your thing, rub a slice of lime OR blood orange along the edge of the glass to wet it. Dip the glass in a small pile of rock or kosher salt to place a nice salted edge on the glass.
- Step 5 Place ice cubes or synthetic ice balls (commonly found in stores in the kitchen/home goods section) in the low ball glass and pour the shaker mixture over ice.
- Step 6 Enjoy!
