If you love the flavor of fresh grapefruit, there’s a good chance you’ll fall head over heels in love with this refreshing Grapefruit Margarita! It’s got a lightly sweet, slightly tart taste that is perfectly complemented by the remaining classic margarita ingredients. Plus, it looks amazing!
With fresh grapefruits available pretty much year round here in the States, you can enjoy this any time, whether you’re planning for a Cinco de Mayo celebration, or simply trying to stay cool in the summer heat.
So pour yourself a double grapefruit marg, and let’s get the party started! If you love this drink, be sure to check out our Pineapple Margarita and our Blackberry Basil Margarita
Ingredients For Grapefruit Margarita
- Fresh grapefruit juice: We’re using ruby red grapefruit here, but pink grapefruit, red grapefruit, or even white grapefruit will work. The different varieties have different flavor profiles, so you may need to adjust the amount of agave to help balance out bitter or sour notes.
- Tequila blanco: More on our favorite tequila brands below.
- Fresh lime juice: Can’t have a margarita recipe without lime juice!
- Cointreau: An orange liqueur! You can substitute Triple Sec, if needed, but we prefer Cointreau for its clean, smooth taste.
- Agave nectar: Used for sweetening! We recommending starting with ½ an ounce. If your fresh grapefruit is particularly bitter (it happens!), add up to ¾ ounce of agave nectar.
Because grapefruits tend to have a tart flavor and can sometimes be bitter, we love to use a combination of both Kosher salt and sugar along the rim of the glass. The sugar adds a lovely, light sweetness that makes this margarita recipe super easy to drink!
How To Make Grapefruit Margaritas At Home
First, you’ll need to select a ripe grapefruit. Yes, you can buy a container of pink grapefruit juice, but it just doesn’t have the same crisp, vibrant taste as fresh.
Fill a cocktail shaker or a mason jar with ice, then add fresh grapefruit juice, tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and agave. Secure lid, then shake the margarita mixture for 10-12 seconds to aerate the drink.
Combine equal parts Kosher salt and sugar on a small plate (about 1 Tbsp of each), then stir well to mix. Run a lime wedge or grapefruit wedge along the edge of a lowball glass, then dip upside down into the salt mixture. Fill the glass with ice, then strain the grapefruit margarita into it.
Serve with lime, grapefruit, or fresh mint garnish (the latter is so beautiful and adds a lovely floral note)!
The Best Tequila For Margaritas
These are the 3 best tequilas for making margs at home (at least according to us!). We’re pretty much Casamigos or bust around here, and almost always stick to silver tequila (blanco) versus tequila reposado (which ages for longer periods of time in oak or stainless steel barrels).
- Casamigos (750ml at $35.99) – hands down, this is the only tequila I use on a regular basis. It’s smooth, herbaceous, and made with 100% agave. Highly, highly recommend.
- Casa Noble Crystal (750ml at $34.99) – this tequila packs a little more punch than the Casamigos. If you’re looking for a bit more character (think slightly smoky or peppery tones), this may be the one for you.
- Herradura Blanco Tequila (750ml at $38.49) – this well known tequila is often the liquid of choice for classic margs, and for good reason — it’s not Patron (overhyped), but similarly will not overwhelm the other flavors of your cocktail.
While you can certainly make margaritas with any type of tequila, we find those made with silver tequila to be the easiest to drink. And we are more definitely here for that!
What Is Cointreau? Can I Use Triple Sec Instead?
Our preference is always for Cointreau over Triple Sec, but both are orange liqueurs and can be used interchangeably in cocktail recipes.
Can Grand Marnier Be Used In Margaritas?
Grand Marnier is absolutely delicious, but we don’t usually recommend it in margaritas. It’s more expensive than both Triple Sec and Cointreau, and has a much stronger flavor. While Cointreau is a type of Triple Sec, Grand Marnier is a combination of Triple Sec and Cognac.
Other Drinks And Recipes For Cinco De Mayo
If you’re looking for the perfect classic margarita recipe, we got you! This is the marg we make again and again, and we think it’s the best out there.
If you love to play around with other fruits, be sure to try our blackberry basil margarita or this sweet and tangy blood orange margarita!
As far as the food goes, it wouldn’t be a Cinco de Mayo celebration without chips, guacamole, salsa, and queso! Other dishes we love to serve on Cinco de Mayo:
Grapefruit lovers unite! One sip and you won’t be able to put this refreshing tequila cocktail down!
If you make this Grapefruit Margarita recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More cocktails to try!
- Classic Margarita Recipe
- Pomegranate Tequila Cosmo
- Paper Plane Cocktail
- Southside Cocktail
- French 75
Grapefruit Margarita Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 oz fresh grapefruit juice about ½ a large grapefruit
- 3 oz tequila blanco such as Casamigos
- 2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 ½ oz Cointreau
- ½ oz agave nectar start with ½ oz, but if the grapefruit is very bitter, add an extra squeeze of agave at the end
- Kosher salt and granulated sugar for rim of glass
Instructions
- Make the grapefruit marg. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add 4 oz fresh grapefruit juice, 3 oz tequila, 2 oz fresh lime juice, 1 ½ oz Cointreau, and ½ oz agave. Secure lid, then shake for 10-12 seconds to aerate the drink.
- Prepare the glass, then serve. Run a lime or grapefruit wedge along the rim of the glass, then dip upside down into a shallow bowl with equal parts Kosher salt and sugar stirred together. Place ice in glass (optional). Strain into glass, then garnish with grapefruit and/or lime wedges.
Notes
- Don’t have agave nectar? You can use simple syrup instead! To make simple syrup, combine equal parts water and sugar in a small saucepan, then heat without bringing to a boil until the sugar has melted. We recommend using 1 cup of each, then storing leftover simple syrup in a squeeze bottle or airtight container. When sealed and stored in a refrigerator, simple syrup will keep for weeks.
Nutrition
Photography by: Pate of The G&M Kitchen
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