You will love the sweet-tart qualities in this fresh red currant margarita recipe. Ginger sugar on the rim brings out the best of this drink’s flavors.
This vibrant red cocktail is perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime you want a fun happy hour cocktail. Cocktails with currants are showstoppers and are a big hit at any party! Don’t forget to check out all of my fancy drinks recipes!
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Red currants can be tricky to find, but if you can buy them, they are absolutely delicious for making craft cocktails. They are a little tart, but that plays well into the flavors I use in this homemade red currant margarita recipe. Note, I use a ginger sugar rim instead of using traditional margarita salt because it really boosts the flavor of this drink.
Red currants and fun facts:
I feel like I scored at our local produce market this week. They had both red and white currants for only $4 a pint. I rarely see fresh red currants, so I quickly grabbed a box of each color. The color of these tart berries is so pretty that I decided to make a fun happy hour cocktail with them.
- Red currants are primarily ripe in the summer, as most berries are. They come in Red, white, and black varieties.
- These berries are tart!
- Currants are considered super-fruits with many nutritional benefits, including Vitamins C, K, Magnesium, and Potassium. They are also high in antioxidants.
- Did you know red currant is in many facial masks because they are considered to firm up your skin?
Can you use currant syrup?
Yes! You can definitely use currant syrup in this recipe. Not many are sweetened, which will change the flavor of this cocktail slightly. We have several European specialty grocers here in the Bay Area. If you can’t find it in your area, you can order it via Amazon.
Now that you know so much more about this berry, let’s talk about margaritas! For this craft cocktail, I combined margarita flavors with the tart berries and added a little sweet orange juice to counteract the tartness.Â
The homemade ginger sugar I used on the rim adds the finishing touches and compliments the margarita flavors. You can buy ginger infused sugar, or you can make homemade ginger sugar.
This tutorial from Self Reliant School is one of the best as she walks you through every step to make this ginger sugar. You may also like this Strawberry Margarita recipe.
Helpful things for making cocktails
- A cocktail set makes it easy to strain this liquor into your glasses.
- Ginger sugar for the rim.
Fun appetizers to serve with this cocktail:
- Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms
- Cheesy Cream Cheese Dip
- Gluten Free Fried Mozzarella Sticks
- Baked Turmeric Chicken Wings
Red Currant Margarita with Ginger Sugar
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red currants
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 orange juiced
- 2 tablespoons raspberry Torani syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 3 ounces tequila
- 2 ounces orange liquor
- 1 tablespoon ginger sugar
Instructions
- Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
- Mash the red currants and add to a cocktail shaker.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients except the ginger sugar.
- Rub lime around the rim of the glass. Roll the rim in the ginger sugar.
- Strain the margarita into each margarita glass and drink cold.
Notes
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Thank you for mentioning my strawberry margarita! I’m loving the look of this red currant margarita, it sounds so delicious!
You are so welcome!
I love fresh currants and I don’t see too many drinks made with them. I bet this tastes great, the color is beautiful!
Thank you so much Sarah 🙂
This is one of the prettiest little cocktails I’ve ever seen! May just have to make some for Valentines Day both with and without alcohol!
This would make a great mock-tail as well 🙂