Blueberry Margarita
This Blueberry Margarita is the perfect colorful, fruity cocktail for summer. With an easy-to-make fresh blueberry simple syrup, this gorgeous riff on the classic margarita is what summer’s all about!
The Best Margarita with Homemade Blueberry Simple Syrup
A classic margarita is a favorite of mine, and I’m always playing around with new flavors. My latest Blueberry Margarita was made for summertime, born from an abundance of freshly picked local blueberries, my affection for tequila, and a Minnesota heat wave…gosh, it’s been HOT here in Minnesota!
Homemade simple syrups are so easy to make, and contribute to the best fresh flavor in cocktails. For this margarita, blueberries are boiled with water and sugar to create a simple syrup that’s perfectly sweet + tart. This syrup gives the blueberry flavor and beautiful dark blue-purple color to the cocktail. It’s both delicious AND pretty!
Add a little bit of tequila, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and orange liqueur, and your blueberry cocktail is ready to enjoy!
What You’ll Need
There are just 3 ingredients in the simple syrup and 4 ingredients in the margarita. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
For the Blueberry Simple Syrup
- Water – Water provides the liquid base for the simple syrup.
- Sugar – To sweeten the syrup.
- Blueberries – Fresh blueberries give us the fruity, blueberry flavor in the syrup. See the variations below about frozen blueberries.
For the Margarita
- Tequila – I like blanco tequila in my margaritas (especially fruit flavored ones) but if reposado is your favorite, feel free to use that!
- Lime juice – Fresh lime juice is key to a great margarita! It adds a bright, tart acidity to the cocktail. Be sure to use freshly squeezed limes for the very best flavor.
- Orange liqueur – Orange liqueur is a common ingredient in a classic margarita, and adds a slight orange citrus flavor. Feel free to use Triple Sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier, whatever you like or have on hand.
- Blueberry simple syrup
Blueberry Margarita Cocktail Variations
Prefer a lighter drink or perhaps strawberries over blueberries? Here are a few easy variations to this blueberry margarita.
- Can I use frozen blueberries? You could swap the fresh blueberries for frozen if that’s what you have on hand. Just add another 2-3 minutes to the cooking time in Step 1.
- Want to make this a strawberry margarita instead? Swap the blueberries for 1 cup of roughly chopped strawberries.
- Don’t want your margarita quite as strong? Use a larger glass and top off the margarita with chilled sparkling water (like Topo Chico).
- Try a different type of alcohol. Not really a fan of tequila? This blueberry cocktail is also wonderful with rum, gin, or vodka!
- Add some herbs. I love to use my herb garden every which way I can during the summer. This drink would also be lovely with sprigs of fresh mint, thyme, or basil! (Have you tried my blueberry basil lemonade? Delish!!)
How to Make Blueberry Simple Syrup
First things first, make the simple syrup. Here’s how!
- Boil the berries. Bring the water, sugar, and blueberries to a boil. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries have burst. Mash the berries a bit to release all their flavor and color.
- Strain. Pour the blueberry syrup through a fine mesh sieve, pressing it through with a wooden spoon.
- Cool. Allow the blueberry syrup to cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate until using.
How to Make a Blueberry Margarita
And now, on to the best part – the homemade margarita!
- Shake. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all of the drink’s ingredients. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, until thoroughly chilled and perfectly diluted.
- Serve. Strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with fresh lime and blueberries.
Can I Make This Into a Pitcher?
Yes, you can easily make this into a pitcher margarita for a crowd!
Fill a pitcher with ice and add all the blueberry syrup, 1½ cups tequila, 1¼ cups fresh lime juice, and 1¼ cups orange liqueur. Stir for 30 seconds to combine, dilute, and thoroughly chill. Pour into individual glasses filled with ice and enjoy immediately.
If not serving right away, combine all ingredients in a pitcher without the ice, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then give the pitcher a good stir, shake individual portions with ice, and strain into ice-filled glasses. Make this pitcher drink up to 3 hours in advance, for the best flavor.
How Long Does Simple Syrup Last?
Unless you’re making a pitcher or several drinks, this recipe will make more blueberry simple syrup than you’ll need at one time. Just store it in an airtight container (preferably glass) in the fridge and use as needed. It will keep well for up to 10 days.
More Margarita Recipes:
- Pink Lemonade Margarita
- Prosecco Margaritas
- Spicy Cucumber Margarita
- Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita
- Orange Margarita
- Ranch Water – I call this my “skinny margarita”!
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Blueberry Margarita
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
For the Margarita
- 2 ounces blanco or “silver” tequila
- 1½ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1½ ounces orange liqueur
- 2 ounces prepared blueberry simple syrup
Instructions
Make the Blueberry Simple Syrup
- Add the water, granulated sugar, and blueberries to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring the syrup to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries have burst. Mash the berries a bit, to release more of their flavor and color.
- Remove syrup from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh sieve to remove large chunks of blueberries. Press on the solids with a wooden spoon to get all the juices out.
- Allow syrup to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Make the Margarita
- Fill a cocktail shaker (or mason jar) with ice. Add the tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and blueberry syrup. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, until well chilled and perfectly diluted.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with fresh lime and blueberries.
Nutrition Information:
5 stars