Cranberry Sauce Margarita

What is the best way to use up leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce? Drink it!

In margarita form, that is!

This ridiculously good Cranberry Sauce Margarita is made with leftover homemade cranberry sauce (yes...it has to be homemade. The jelled canned stuff won't work here.), tequila, fresh lemon juice, and a bit of triple sec.

It's beautifully tart and tangy and strong. (I can attest to that last part after testing this recipe a couple times. Ooops!)

Oh and you know what? You don't even have to wait until after Thanksgiving to enjoy it. Skip the pinot noir and mix up a pitcher of these instead. Your guests will love you.

You'll notice that I used fresh lemon juice in my margarita instead of the usual lime. I actually prefer the way the lemon tastes with the cranberries, but give it a try both ways and see what you prefer.

And since homemade cranberry sauce tends to differ, use that as a guide when determining how much acid to add. If your sauce is super sweet, you may want more lemon juice. If it's a bit tart? Then less.

Taste and see what works best for you.

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

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Loved this recipe? Here are three other Fall Cocktail Recipes you might like:

• Double Apple Spritzer Cocktails
• Pomegranate Rose Champagne Cocktails
• Spiced Apple Cider Rum Punch Cocktail

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading

Cranberry Sauce Margarita
Serves 1, multiply as desired

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup homemade whole berry cranberry sauce (do not use canned or "jellied" style cranberry sauce--you need the chunky stuff)
1 tablespoon triple sec
1/4 cup reposado tequila
Ice
A few whole fresh cranberries, for garnish

Directions
Combine lemon juice, cranberry sauce, triple sec, and tequila in a large shaker. Add ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is frosty.

Fill a cocktail glass with ice and strain drink into glass. Garnish with a few whole cranberries, and serve immediately.