Prickly Pear Margarita

The prickly pear margarita is the best festive cocktail! The shocking pink color in this recipe is all natural, from prickly pear syrup.

Here’s a must-make margarita that’s 100% worth seeking out a unique ingredient. It’s the Prickly Pear Margarita! Its shocking pink color is all natural, and comes from the prickly pear cactus. You’d think this bright of a drink would require artificial dyes, but this hue comes straight from nature. The flavor is even better than it looks: it’s sweet and fruity, with notes of raspberry and watermelon. Since we had one at a restaurant in Arizona a while back, we’d been meaning to recreate it! Brightly colored drinks are our jam (like red, green, pink and even blue!), and this one has easily solidified a spot in our hearts.

Ingredients in a prickly pear margarita

The margarita is one of the top classic cocktails of all time, and it has hundreds of variations. The classic version was invented in Mexico in the 1930’s, and is made with just tequila, triple sec and lime juice. A prickly pear margarita is a margarita made with prickly pear syrup, a syrup derived from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make one at home:

• Tequila
• Triple Sec (or Cointreau)
• Lime juice
• Prickly pear syrup

What is prickly pear syrup?

Prickly pear syrup is a syrup made from the juice of the prickly pear fruit. This fruit is harvested from the type of cactus called Opuntia, which grows in the Southwestern US (like New Mexico) and Mexico. Prickly pear fruit is also called tuna (in Spanish) or sabra. The paddle of the cactus is called a nopal. You may have had nopales in Mexican cuisine, and the fruit is widely used from salads to candy. Here’s what to know about getting ahold of prickly pear syrup for this margarita recipe:

• What does prickly pear syrup taste like? It’s beautifully sweet and fruity, and has a bright magenta color. Some people say it tastes like bubble gum. It’s sweet tart with notes of watermelon and raspberry.
• Where to buy prickly pear syrup? You can find it at some liquor stores, but it’s easiest to find online. Try this 7 ounce bottle of prickly pear cactus syrup.
• Can you make prickly pear syrup? You can, if you happen to have prickly pear fruit! Here’s a recipe.

Make a prickly pear margarita, or a pitcher!

Getting ahold of the prickly pear syrup is the hardest part of this prickly pear margarita recipe. Once you’ve got it, it’s easy to make! Head to the recipe below. But first: decide whether you’d like to make a single drink or a pitcher. The single drink is great for one offs, but if you’re entertaining you can make 8 servings at a time. It’s much easier than shaking them all up. Mix together the following in a pitcher:

• 1 ½ cups tequila
• 1 cup Cointreau
• 1 cup lime juice
• ½ cup prickly pear syrup (this will use 4 ounces of the 7 ounce bottle)
• 3 handfuls ice

Add them together and stir. Then pour into glasses and serve! We’re 99% sure your guests will be over the moon about the color and flavor of these margaritas. We were, at least!

More unique margarita recipes

This is one of our top unique margarita recipes that are unexpectedly delicious! Here are a few more that we’ve discovered recently that have been hits:

• Go for another pink margarita, the Hibiscus Margarita or Blueberry Margarita
• Grab a deliciously creamy Coconut Margarita
• Try the Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita for a cool and spicy twist
• Opt for a Hennessy Margarita with fancy Cognac
• Mix up an ocean-colored Blue Margarita

When to serve a prickly pear margarita

The prickly pear margarita is simple and stunning! It works as a:

• Happy hour drink
• Dinner party drink
• Summer drink
• Cinco de Mayo drink
• Late night drinks drink
• Guys or girls night drink
• Cocktail hour drink

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