I’m all about the margaritas this summer. (Duh). These magical little blueberry cilantro margaritas are inspired by my first brush with learning craft cocktails. In a restaurant I worked for back in Kansas City, there were probably ten craft cocktails on the menu, and most of them were very labor intensive. But the blueberry cilantro margaritas were a breeze, and that’s probably why I loved them so much. 🙂
I say they’re easy because there is no garnish, no straining, no extra steps. You literally muddle blueberries and cilantro in a glass, toss in all of the liquid ingredients, shake it like you mean it, then pour everything directly into a fancy old fashioned glass. Ta da! Your job is done.
So, yeah. Beautiful! Easy! And DELICIOUS. This recipe is perfect for adding a gorgeous twist to your usual margaritas. Using fresh blueberries makes these drinks pop with vibrant, luscious color. The cilantro adds an unexpected earthy quality, but it makes so much sense with the blueberries. Who knew?
Blueberry cilantro margaritas are a perfect start to date night at home. OR, you wanna get crazy? Have your friends over for brunch, offer the usual mimosas, and offer these as the post-brunch cocktail. I’m going to be honest, brunch is literally just an excuse to booze on a Sunday morning when you need greasy food and a few mimosas to put you right back into coma-mode. Right? These would be an unexpected (read: awesome) twist on the usual brunch cocktail expectations.
Get some fresh blueberries while you still can. Since they’re packed with antioxidants, and tequila is the only booze that is actually not a downer, this drink is a super win! I learned that little tidbit about tequila from a recent wine dinner I attended. Steve Reynolds, who is a winemaker in Napa, started his own tequila line. Holy shit. He gave Mark and I a bottle, and we are treasuring that thing forever. It’s insanely delicious, and has a serious vanilla note. Weird, right? Anyway, he told me that tequila, coming from the blue agave plant, actually acts as a type of “upper”, rather than bringing you down like other alcohols. Pretty cool, if you ask me. I always feel differently when I drink tequila, so it makes sense.
Anyway! Get these blueberry cilantro margaritas in your life. NOW. They’re easy, I promise. And they’re gorgeous! Remember, you’ll get the fun + fruity notes from the blueberries, and the deeper earthiness from the cilantro. It’s such an interesting combination of flavors, and a really great way to start diving into a world of creative flavors.
Cheers to you, you badass cocktail maker!
blueberry cilantro margaritas
Ingredients
for small batch honey simple syrup :
- 1/2 cup raw, local honey
- 1/2 cup water
for each margarita :
- 10 blueberries (small handful)
- 5 cilantro leaves (very small bunch)
- 1/2 ounce honey simple syrup or agave
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1/2 ounce fresh orange juice fresh. fresh. fresh.
- 1 1/2 ounces tequila blanco (silver)
Instructions
for honey simple syrup :
- Combine honey and water into a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat through, stirring occasionally, until the two blend harmoniously, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool at least 20 minutes.
- Keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
for each margarita :
- Muddle blueberries and cilantro at the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add honey simple syrup, lime and orange juices, and tequila. Fill the shaker with ice.
- Cap the shaker and shake it like you mean it for at least fifteen seconds. As the ice breaks, it will continue to break down the blueberries and release the flavors of the cilantro.
- Once the shaker is too cold for you to handle, remove the lid and pour the contents directly into an old-fashioned glass.
- Cheers!
