No Cinco de Mayo celebration would be complete without an ice-cold margarita. That salted rim, tequila, and margarita mix just scream a little louder at you on this particular holiday. Mixed drinks hold a special place in my heart, but not the ones with premixes in them. You can save that sugar added additives filled syrup to someone else. The mixed drinks I speak of are the ones that are made with fresh clean ingredients, a little creativity, and extra bonus points if the sugar is more on the light side.
Here are three margaritas with a healthy spin on this classic cocktail by incorporating fresh fruits for natural sweetness while also trying to up the nutrition ante as much as possible.
Blackberry Margarita
ingredients
¾ fresh blackberries, divided
1 TBS lime juice
1 oz tequila
1 tsp honey
¼ cup champagne
½ cup ice cubes
instructions
- First, lightly muddle ½ cup blackberries with honey and lime juice.
- Add tequila, ice cubes, remaining blackberries and gently stir.
- Top with the champagne and garnish with salt, if desired.
- Makes 1 cocktail.
Watermelon Margarita
ingredients
1 cup diced watermelon
2 TBS lime juice
1 oz tequila
6 watermelon cups cut and placed in the freezer overnight
instructions
- Puree 4 watermelon cubes in a blender for about 30 seconds, or until it becomes watermelon juice.
- Add watermelon juice to a cocktail shaker with lime juice, tequila, and a few ice cubes.
- Shake well to combine.
- Pour out of the shaker leaving the ice cubes behind.
- In a glass, place a couple additional watermelon cubes and then pour margarita on top.
- Makes 1 cocktail.
Classic ‘Skinny’ Margarita
ingredients
1 oz Silver Tequila
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
.75 oz Cointreau
1 TBS light agave nectar
Ice
Coarse sea salt
Lime wedges
instructions
- In a shaker add tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, agave nectar, and ice.
- Shake vigorously.
- Use a lime wedge to wet the rims of a glass and dip in salt.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Strain margarita into ice-filled glasses.
- Makes 1 cocktail.
