Nutty, sweet, and perfectly balanced, the Italian Margarita is a tasty twist on a traditional marg. This refreshing cocktail gets its sweetness from two fresh juices and is made with just 4 ingredients. Grab your shaker because happy hour begins in 10 minutes!
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Italian food and margaritas are 2 of my favorite things, so when I tried an Italian Marg it's not surprising I fell in love. After all, Italians do a lot of things right, and this Italian Margarita made with just 4 ingredients is definitely one of them.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It uses just 4 ingredients that are easy to have on hand.
- An Italian Margarita gets its sweetness from the fresh juices and amaretto liqueur - no simple syrup is required!
- It's easy to make one or a batch! Surprise your friends with this tasty twist on the traditional margarita!
Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients for this cocktail.
Ingredient Notes
- Tequila: Reposado tequila is best for this drink. Blanco can be used as well with good results.
- Fruit juices: Fresh is a must for this marg. Bottled juices contain preservatives that alter the flavor.
- Amaretto: This almond-flavored Italian liqueur that can be found in the cordial section where you buy alcohol.
Instructions
It only takes a few minutes to shake up an Italian Margarita.
- Step 1: Fill a shaker with ice and add all of the liquor and juices.
- Step 2: Cover shaker.
- Step 3: Shake vigorously until well combined.
- Step 4: Rim the edge of a glass with a lime wedge.
- Step 5: Invert glass on a plate filled with salt.
- Step 6: Strain contents of shaker into salt rimmed glass.
FAQs
We used regular oranges for this recipe because of their year-round availability, but also tested the recipe with Cara Cara oranges and blood oranges. All of them are delicious, but your cocktail will be different colors based on the juice used. You can get about 4-5 tablespoons of juice in one orange.
Reposado tequila. This tequila has aged for 2-12 months and gives a more complex flavor than Blanco tequila. Add in amaretto and fresh fruit juices and you have one smooth marg.
There are generally 2 tablespoons (1 ounce)of juice in a lime depending on the size of the lime.
Expert Tips
- Squeeze your fresh juices ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to make the drinks. A reamer works well for one cocktail or use a juicer for a batch.
- Use good tequila. Always make sure it is 100% agave. Reposado tequila is best for this drink. There are a lot of fabulous tequila brands out there, but Don Julio is one of our favorites.
- Salt the glasses ahead of time, set out with an ice bucket and the pitcher of margaritas, and let guests serve themselves.
Substitutions and Shortcuts
- Don't have any amaretto on hand? Limoncello or Aperol can also be used in an Italian Margarita for a different Italian twist.
- Serving a group? Mix up the margaritas ahead of time without ice and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
- Buy fresh squeezed orange juice at the grocery store, but not just a regular carton of orange juice from concentrate and made with preservatives.
More Great Recipes
It's no secret that we love margaritas! Check out this Skinny Margarita or some of our other faves.
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Recipe
Italian Margarita
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Reposado tequila
- 1½ ounces Amaretto
- 2 ounces fresh orange juice
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- kosher salt
- lime wedges
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Instructions
- Fill a shaker with ice and add tequila, amaretto, orange juice and lime juice.3 ounces Reposado tequila, 1½ ounces Amaretto, 2 ounces fresh orange juice, 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- Shake vigorously to combine liquids and chill drink.
- Rim the edge of a glass with a lime wedge and invert on a plate filled with kosher salt.kosher salt, lime wedges
- Fill glass with ice and strain contents of shaker into glass.
Notes
- We used regular oranges for this recipe because of their year-round availability, but also tested the recipe with Cara Cara oranges and blood oranges. All of them are delicious, but your cocktail will be different colors based on the juice used.
- There is generally 1 ounce of juice in a lime and 2-2½ ounces in one orange.
- Don't have any amaretto on hand? Limoncello or Aperol can also be used in an Italian Margarita.
- Serving a group? Mix up the margaritas ahead of time without ice and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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