
I have come to the recent conclusion that margaritas are my “happy” drinks.
Wine is my relax-and-feel-just-a-little-bit-classy drink. Beer is my kick-back-with-friends-and-have-a-good-time drink. Bourbon is my sip-and-savor-and-talk-about-real-stuff drink. Scotch is my feel-like-a-grownup(-and-the-peatier-the-better) drink. Piña coladas are my ultra-cheesy-but-gotta-order-one-each-time-I’m-on-a-beach drink. And the list goes on…
But margaritas?
I’m convinced it’s nearly impossible to have a well-made margarita sitting in front of you and not have a good time. Maybe it’s due to those cute salted rims that totally remind me of confetti. Maybe it’s due to that brilliant mix of sweet and sour and salty flavors, mixed with tequila. (¡Tequila!) Maybe it’s due to the fact that margaritas almost always mean that chips and salsa are nearby. (Always a good thing.)
Whatever the reason, margaritas just make me happy. And as much as I will truly-madly-deeply love my classic margarita recipe, I still love experimenting regularly with other new flavors. My obsession this winter?
Grapefruit margaritas.

My food-blogging friend, Kathryne, has always sworn that grapefruit is the magical fruit that works well in just about any cocktail. And after putting her theory to the test over this past winter, I think that she’s right. And I must say that I think it pairs exceptionally well with tequila in a good, fresh, homemade margarita.
The ingredients you’ll need to make one for yourself are simple:
- tequila (any kind will do, but most margs are made with blanco)
- orange liqueur (such as Cointreau, which I totally forgot to photograph – oops!)
- agave nectar (to sweeten)
- fresh grapefruit juice (or you can use store-bought juice if fresh ones aren’t in season, see below*)
- fresh lime juice (I don’t drink margaritas without it!)

Just juice the fruit, and stir everything together…

…and then you can either give it a good shake with some ice in a shaker, and/or just serve it over the rocks.
The sweetness is totally up to you on these. I generally prefer my margaritas a little tart, and especially love them so with the flavors of the fresh grapefruit juice. But feel free to just add in more/less agave to taste.

I would just recommend going ahead and juicing enough fruit for at least a double batch, because these guys are tasty, and I’m pretty sure you’re going to want seconds. ;)
Cheers, everyone!
Grapefruit Margarita

Ingredients
- 2 ounces freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice
- 1 1/2 ounces tequila, silver or reposado
- 3/4 ounce Cointreau (or any orange liqueur)
- 3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice
- agave nectar for sweetening, to taste
- ice
- optional: lime wedge and salt for rimming the glass
Instructions
- If you would like salt-rimmed glasses, begin by running a lime wedge (the juicy part) around the top rim of a glass. Fill a shallow bowl with salt, and dip the rim in the salt until it is covered with your desired amount of salt. Set aside.
- Add grapefruit juice, tequila, lime juice and Cointreau to a cocktail shaker, and shake or stir until combined. Taste, and if you would like it to be sweeter (most people do!), stir in a half teaspoon of agave, and then repeat as needed until the mix reaches your desired level of sweetness.
- Fill glass with ice. Pour in the margarita mixture over the rocks. Serve immediately, garnished with an extra lime or grapefruit wedge if desired.




These are delicious! I ran out of orange liqueur so on my 2nd batch I used a little extra tequila and some orange juice. It wasn’t quite the same but it still tasted good.
Thanks Abby! We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Oooooo – so beautiful. Has me dreaming about lazy summer days sitting in the sun sipping one of these babies!
Thanks Susan! We hope you enjoy them! :)
These look divine! Great cocktail recipe for these Southern Hemisphere hot summer days.
Thanks Lis — we hope you enjoy! :)
Love-love-love these margaritas! Made them for my husband on Saturday and he asked for more the next day. I think these have officially replaced “regular” margaritas in our house. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
This looks amazing – want one right now! I always choose sour over sweet cocktails…love me a good margie too. Thanks for the idea ?
Thanks Bita — we hope you enjoy (we might even like these better than the classic)! :)
How I wish I were not allergic to grapefruit! Love Margaritas, just cannot have grapefruit.
This looks like it needs to be made after work today. It’s calling my name!
Kari
i’m drinking grapefruit juice right now (!), and I have everything to make these later – yum! please share where you got the adorable cups and pitcher – the drinks wouldn’t be the same without them!
Awesome, we hope you enjoy! :) And I’ll have to ask Ali about the cups and the pitcher (she’s in New Zealand right now)!
I’m right there with you in liking margs tart, so this sounds right up my alley!
Josh | The Kentucky Gent
https://thekentuckygent.com
Yay, we hope you enjoy these! :)
Yum! Grapefruit cocktails are the best.
We totally agree! :)