PREP TIME 10 min
We wish every happy hour started with a Blood Orange Margarita! This juicy cocktail is packed with delicious bittersweet flavours, making it an aperitif everyone will love. With more ingredients than your average 3-ingredient sippers, it’s still easy to shake up and serve.
Wet the rim of a rocks glass or tumbler with a little juice
Dip it in a saucer of salt to coat
Fill the glass with ice and set aside
Half-fill a shaker with ice
Add all the ingredients and shake until icy cold
Strain into the glass
Garnish with a blood orange slice tucked into the drink
The crimson-streaked flesh of blood orange is sweeter than a regular navel orange and a little less acidic with hints of berry flavor. These bold-flavored oranges are generally much juicer than their navel relatives and softer. Blood oranges are in season in the winter months and start fruiting a month earlier than the navels, usually in December.
Our Blood Orange Margarita is built with the same blocks as the OG Margarita, one of the classic Mexican cocktails most people know. Made with tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice, the blood orange version adds a dash of Campari (opens in new window), and a little simple syrup for sweetness.
Make sure you use a good quality tequila like Cabo Wabo (opens in new window) or Espolòn (opens in new window) since this recipe calls for a smooth unaged blanco to create balance. For the orange liqueur, choose one that offers bitter orange notes like Grand Marnier (opens in new window) to add an extra depth of flavor.
The finishing touch of a Blood Orange Margarita cocktail is a salt rim. Do this first before pouring your drink. Simply tip some kosher salt or sea salt onto a saucer and rub a wedge of orange or lime around the edge of a rocks glass or tumbler to wet it. Then twist the rim in the salt. A salt rim elevates the flavor and brings that extra Insta-appeal to your drink.
If you don’t have fresh oranges for your blood orange drink recipes, a 100% pure carton of juice will still work. Store-bought juices can be sweeter, so you may need to reduce the amount of simple syrup in the cocktail. You can always substitute the blood orange with regular OJ – just remember you’ll lose a little sweetness, so add more simple syrup.
When you add Campari to this recipe, you add an extra layer of complexity to the drink. This iconic Italian aperitif adds a bittersweet note that plays beautifully with the sweetness of the blood orange and the sharpness of the lime. It elevates a classic Margarita, making it feel just a bit more sophisticated. If you’re new to Campari, don’t worry—the bitterness mellows out with the other ingredients, creating a balanced, delicious cocktail.
Also see: Drink Like an Italian: Campari Cocktails to Try
If you want to give your drink a more traditional Mexican twist, swap out the simple syrup for agave syrup. Agave syrup has a more neutral sweetness than simple syrup and enhances the flavor of the tequila. It’s also a great option if you prefer a less processed sweetener. Just be sure to use a light agave syrup to keep the balance right in the drink.
Learn more: Easy Simple Syrup Variations for Cocktails
