
When I first tried Hot Ruby Cranberry Cider, I knew that it would make a delicious tasting margarita. The sweet-tart flavor just made me think of grapefruit and lime. Honestly, whenever I think of grapefruit and lime, I think of margaritas. Grapefruit Hot Ruby Margaritas are the perfect marriage of sweet-tart and tequila. It’s a fantastic cocktail.
Of my favorite things about this cocktail are the garnishes. I decided to use a sugar-salt lime grapefruit combination for the rim of the glass, delicious sugared cranberries, and dehydrated grapefruit wheels. I really wanted to enhance all of the different elements and using a combination of sugar and salt was a great alternative to either a salt or sugar rim. I also added lime zest and grapefruit zest for some added flavor.

How To Make Sugared Cranberries…
Ingredients Needed:
- sugar
- water
- cranberries
Combine the sugar and water together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to boil for 2-3 minutes until it just starts to thicken. Remove the mixture from heat and add the cranberries. Allow the cranberries to soak for at least 3 hours, up to overnight. After soaking the cranberries, spoon them out onto a wire rack to dry for 1 hour. Sprinkle the cranberries with the remaining sugar. Store in the refrigerator in a covered dish for up to a week.

Grapefruit Hot Ruby Margaritas
Using a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the tequila, Hot Ruby Cranberry Cider, grapefruit juice, lime juice, Cointreau, and cranberry simple syrup. Shake vigorously until combined and chilled. Pour into margarita glass rimmed with lime juice and the grapefruit lime sugar salt. Garnish with sugared cranberries and a dehydrated grapefruit wheel.
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for 2-3 minutes until the syrup begins to thicken. Turn off the heat and add the cranberries. Allow the cranberries to remain in the syrup for 3 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the cranberries from the syrup and place them on a wire rack to dry for 1 hour. After the cranberries have dried for an hour, roll them in sugar. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate.
Strain the cranberry syrup into a jar with a lid once cooled. Refrigerate for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
Directions
Using a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the tequila, Hot Ruby Cranberry Cider, grapefruit juice, lime juice, Cointreau, and cranberry simple syrup. Shake vigorously until combined and chilled. Pour into margarita glass rimmed with lime juice and the grapefruit lime sugar salt. Garnish with sugared cranberries and a dehydrated grapefruit wheel.
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for 2-3 minutes until the syrup begins to thicken. Turn off the heat and add the cranberries. Allow the cranberries to remain in the syrup for 3 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the cranberries from the syrup and place them on a wire rack to dry for 1 hour. After the cranberries have dried for an hour, roll them in sugar. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate.
Strain the cranberry syrup into a jar with a lid once cooled. Refrigerate for up to 3 months.

This cocktail was another one that was served at my latest Holiday Entertaining Cocktail Class. I also served a few other delicious Holiday cocktails including St. Nick’s Nightcap, Cherry Bourbon Manhattans, & Clementine Rosemary French 75s.
St. Nick’s Nightcap Clementine Rosemary French 75s Cherry Bourbon Manhattans
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