This Rhubarb Margarita recipe is a fun, summery twist on the classic margarita. With a swirl of rhubarb simple syrup, this gorgeous ruby red cocktail is topped off with club soda for light, bubbly refreshment!
Fresh Rhubarb Margarita Recipe
This Rhubarb Margarita has been my signature “Farmgirl Margarita” of spring and summer for more than a decade. I first shared my ruby rhubarb syrup and rhubarb margarita recipes with you way back when this blog was in its infancy – and they’re still favorites to this day. So I thought it was time for a refresh here!
Margaritas are my favorite. And it’s no wonder I love this rhubarb one so much!
This summery rhubarb margarita is, at first glance, so pretty with its ruby red color. The easy rhubarb syrup, one of many rhubarb recipes here, makes enough for plenty of drinks (also try my rhubarb mojito and raspberry rhubarb cosmo!) and keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks. It’s lovely stirred into club soda and/or lemonade – and fantastic drizzled over ice cream or buttermilk pancakes, too!
Beyond its good looks, this margarita is the perfect combination of tart and sweet. It has all the flavors of a classic margarita, with tequila, a splash of orange liqueur plus freshly squeezed OJ, and plenty of lime – plus that fun little twist of rhubarb. I top off the drink with chilled, bubbly club soda to add even more summertime refreshment!
And for those of you who like to entertain, I wrote this recipe to make a small pitcher of 4 cocktails. The recipe’s even measurements make it easy to make 1 drink, 4 drinks, or a whole lot more!
If a Farmgirl was to have a signature drink…it should be a rhubarb margarita, don’t you agree?!
Two more big-batch margarita recipes for you: Prosecco Margaritas and my Margarita Recipe for One and for a Crowd!
Why You’ll Love This Margarita
When I think of rhubarb, I think of growing up on the farm – where my love for rhubarb began, thanks to Mom. Rhubarb holds lots of nostalgia for me, and is a big part of why I love this drink so much. But there are many other reasons why EVERYONE will love it!
- Quick & easy. Once you have the Ruby Rhubarb Syrup made, this cocktail recipe comes together in just a few minutes.
- Eye catching. We always eat with our eyes first, right? And this drink is a ruby red beauty!
- Easy to customize. You can make it sweeter, tarter, lighter, whatever suits your fancy. And if you don’t like tequila? Vodka, rum, or gin would be great alternatives.
- Easy to alter the quantity. My recipe includes measurements for both a small pitcher (4 drinks) and a single drink. And with measurements that are easy to double, triple, etc., you can make margaritas for as many people as you like!
- Can make this in advance. This drink is easy to make ahead of time. Just follow the instructions to make a pitcher of drinks and put it in the fridge to chill until your guests arrive.
- A delicious margarita twist. This is a fun twist on a classic for margarita lovers, with all the core margarita flavors.
- Seasonal. It’s always fun to serve cocktails according to the season’s best produce availability. For example, a mojito when summer mint is thriving in your garden, a watermelon margarita on a hot July day, or a greyhound with fresh grapefruit juice during the winter citrus season.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this margarita!
Scroll down to the (printable) recipe card at the end of this post for the exact measurements and full instructions.
- Ruby Rhubarb Syrup – I like to keep this on hand all summer long, for easy cocktails and mocktails. It’s easy to make and keeps well for a few weeks in the fridge.
- Blanco tequila – Also called white or silver tequila. Here’s more tequila information, if you like!
- Orange liqueur – This is a traditional margarita ingredient. I keep Cointreau on hand, but any quality triple sec will work.
- Lime juice – Another key ingredient in margaritas – only freshly squeezed, please!
- Orange juice – This plays upon the orange liqueur, with a soft, sweet citrus flavor.
- Club soda – This adds a lighter, refreshing, bubbly effect, which I love. You could also use sparkling water.
How To Make a Rhubarb Margarita
Once the Ruby Rhubarb Syrup is made, you can crank out a pitcher of rhubarb margaritas (enough for 4 drinks) in just a few minutes. And if you only want to make 1 drink, the recipe card also includes instructions for that!
- Prep the glasses (optional salt rim): Add coarse salt to a small plate. Rub the cut side of a lime wedge around the rim of a glass and dip the glass upside-down into the salt. Repeat with the other glasses.
- Make the rhubarb margarita mix: In a pitcher, combine the Ruby Rhubarb Syrup, tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and orange juice.
- Make the rhubarb margaritas: Divide rhubarb margarita mixture evenly between the four prepared glasses (or just make 1 drink, using about 6 ounces of rhubarb margarita mix), add ice to each glass, and top with club soda.
- Garnish: Squeeze a lime wedge over the top (if you like your margarita extra tart!) and toss it into the glass. Garnish with fresh cut rhubarb and more lime wedges, if desired.
Tips For Success & Variations
Here are a few tips to give you the best rhubarb margarita experience, plus some ways to switch it up:
- Shake it up! I always like a cocktail that’s shaken with ice. Not only does it super chill the cocktail, but it also dilutes the drink a bit. You could definitely shake the rhubarb margarita mix in a cocktail shaker with ice before pouring it into your glass and topping with club soda.
- Use quality ingredients. From the tequila and liqueur to the fresh citrus, be sure to always use quality ingredients. This doesn’t mean that you need to use a top shelf tequila, though – check out some tequila options here.
- Swap out the tequila. I know that tequila isn’t for everyone. Feel free to use vodka, rum, or gin in its place.
- Make it fancy. It’s always fun to use fancy glassware. For an extra special cocktail, serve this drink in stemmed glasses (see photo above).
- Chill the club soda. For the coldest drink, be sure to pre-chill the club soda or sparkling water.
- Alter to taste. As with any cocktail, I always encourage you to make it how YOU would like to drink it. Add more or less of any ingredient until it suits you!
Serving Suggestions
This refreshing cocktail was meant for summertime, and you can serve it with nearly everything. Here are a few summer recipe suggestions:
Hearty salads: This grilled vegetable salad is a favorite, as is my sister’s Dorito taco salad with pickled red onions, my mom’s macaroni salad with ham & cheese, and Vietnamese noodle salad. Check out all the salads here!
Grilled mains: Crowd-pleasers are beer can chicken, margarita grilled shrimp, and sugar grilled beef & asparagus kebabs. Check out all our grilling recipes here!
More Rhubarb Recipes
Rhubarb is one of my favorite ingredients. Here are a few more recipes you might like to try:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Rhubarb Custard Pie
- Rhubarb Nut Coffee Cake
- Super Simple Rhubarb Sauce
- Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Rhubarb Cheesecake Pie
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crumbles
- Rhubarb Custard Cake
- Pickled Rhubarb
- Rhubarb Cream Cheese Bars
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars
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Rhubarb Margaritas
Ingredients
- lime wedges for salt rim on glasses and final garnish
- coarse salt for the glass rims
- 8 ounces chilled Ruby Rhubarb Syrup
- 6 ounces tequila blanco
- 1 ounce orange liqueur such as Cointreau
- 4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- chilled club soda
Instructions
For A Pitcher (4 drinks):
- Prep the glasses: Add coarse salt to a small plate. Rub the cut side of a lime wedge around the rim of a glass and dip the glass upside-down into the salt. Repeat with the other 3 glasses.
- Make the rhubarb margarita mix: In a small pitcher, combine the Ruby Rhubarb Syrup, tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and orange juice, and give it a stir. Use right away or make this up to 2 hours in advance and keep chilled in the fridge.
- Make the rhubarb margaritas: Divide rhubarb margarita mixture evenly between the four prepared glasses (or just make 1 at a time), about 6 ounces of margarita mix per glass.
- Fill each glass ⅔ full with ice, then top with chilled club soda to almost fill the glass. With a spoon, quickly swirl the drink to incorporate the heavier rhubarb syrup mixture into the club soda.
- Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and toss it into the glass. Garnish with fresh cut rhubarb and more lime wedges, if desired.
For 1 Drink:
- Prep a glass: Add coarse salt to a small plate. Rub the cut side of a lime wedge around the rim of a glass and dip the glass upside-down into the salt.
- Make the rhubarb margarita: To the prepared glass, add 2 ounces Ruby Rhubarb syrup, 1½ ounces tequila blanco, ¼ ounce orange liqueur, 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, and 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Fill glass ⅔ full with ice, then top with chilled club soda to almost fill the glass. With a spoon, quickly swirl the drink to incorporate the heavier rhubarb syrup mixture into the club soda.
- Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and toss it into the glass. Garnish with fresh cut rhubarb and more lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2023.