If you like your cocktail a little sweeter, this jam margarita could be the drink for you. Fun, fruity and easy to make, it’s guaranteed to make you smile. Shaken in a jam jar, it’s also a fuss-free jam jar margarita!
Jam margaritas
If you like a sweeter drink, the classic margarita (or marguerita) may not be for you. Tequila, triple sec, lime and salt is mouth-tingling combination that you either adore or hate. The delicious, sweet, fruity variations are another matter entirely.
See also
- Sloe gin is the classic homemade liqueur and a great way to make use of this very tart fruit.
- If you have damsons, damson gin makes a great Christmas treat.
In a bar, a strawberry margarita would probably involve strawberry puree and sugar syrup, but if you have a good strawberry jam at home, you already have these ingredients ready mixed. It couldn’t be easier to rustle up a delicious pre-dinner jam-jar margarita cocktail for you and someone you love.
My strawberry jam margarita
This strawberry jam margarita is fabulously fruity and perfect for summer days and any time you feel the need of a touch of virtual sunshine. Jam, after all, is the way we keep hold of that summer fruit into the winter months.
Rossi/Frost
Using jam here allows you to enjoy a strawberry margarita in the depths of winter. I’ve included some fresh strawberries here but you could leave them out or use frozen, meaning you can make a winter cocktail without breaking the bank or ramping up your carbon footprint with expensive air-freighted fruit.
Although I have used strawberry jam, you can, of course, use any jam you like in your margaritas. Why not try a blackcurrant jam margarita, rhubarb jam margaritas, raspberry jam margaritas or cherry jam margaritas? Pick one of my easy jam recipes for the base flavour.
Whichever jam you choose, it is a good idea to start by chilling your ingredients in advance. If not, make the margaritas before your guests arrive so that they are properly cooled.
Why make jam margaritas
- cocktails were never so easy
- it’s delicious
- fun and sunshine, whatever the weather
- Make ahead and grab from the freezer when your guests arrive
Jam margarita ingredients
- Jam – I used strawberry. Homemade is always better.
- Tequila – the classic Mexican spirit that is essential to a margarita.
- Cointreau – or any other triple sec. In the UK this white orange liqueur is mostly known by the French brand name Cointreau, but many other versions are available. Grand Marnier yellow ribbon is triple sec, rather than the darker brandy-based red ribbon version most of us know.
- Lime – for juice, plus wedges for garnish
- Fresh strawberries – for garnish, if you are using strawberry jam. Vary the fruit to suit the jam.
How to make jam margaritas – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this jam margarita recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Put the jam, juice of one lime, tequila and triple sec in a wide-mouthed jam jar.
Start with chilled ingredients unless you are making at least an hour in advance.
Step Two – Put the lid on tightly. Shake well so that the jam dissolves into the alcohol. Put the jar in the fridge, or freezer for at least 10 minutes or until you are ready to serve.
Step Three – Run the fleshy side of the lime half you squeezed around the rim of your glasses. Spread the salt on a saucer and dip the rim of the glasses in so that you have a salt crust around the rim.
Put ice in the glasses if you want it, shake the jam jar again, and pour your margaritas. Garnish with fresh strawberries and lime wedges, and enjoy.
Serving suggestion
Serve your jam jar margarita chilled in attractive glasses. It’s up to you whether you like it over ice or not, but it is lovely to garnish it with lime wedges and fresh fruit to suit the jam you used.
You can add herbs too. A sprig of mint would go well with many flavours.
Variations
- Switch the flavour to any jam you like. Alternatively, make a delicious lime or orange marmalade margarita, but strain the peel out before serving.
- If you don’t like (or can’t have) the salt crust, you can use sugar crystals instead.
- Change the garnish around to suit the jam. Add your favourite herbs too.
Storage
Fridge – A margarita should be served icy cold, so unless you have chilled your spirits before making (and you can do this in the freezer very effectively), chill it in the fridge for an hour before serving. You can also make in advance and leave in the fridge for 24 hours before your guests arrive.
Freezer – If you have the space, you can make margaritas and store in the freezer to enjoy at any time. The cocktail will not freeze solid, which means you can serve it very quickly. It also means you should store your margaritas in a well-sealed jam jars and keep them upright to avoid leaks.
Hints and tips
- Chill the spirits before you start, as a margarita should be cold.
- To maximize the juice from the lime, roll the whole fruit on the kitchen counter under the heel of your hand with a little pressure before cutting. This breaks down the fibres inside and releases the juice.
- If you have a large enough freezer, make use of it. Frozen margaritas are delicious!
- Enjoy responsibly, as these drinks are strong!
FAQs
The salt on the rim of the margarita glass is a traditional part of the cocktail. Some argue that it’s there to balance out the bitterness from the tequila, others that it encourages a thirst! Given that the margarita originated either in Mexico or California, it may also be to do with the way we crave salt in very hot weather.
Tequila is distilled from the blue agave, a large, spiky, succulent plant native to Mexico. Like rum, it can be a white spirit but may also be golden or dark brown from aging in barrels.
A little under 5 units per person, so you won’t need a second drink. There’s no mixer, so it’s just the neat spirits and a little jam. It’s easy to forget the strength of sweet mixed drinks, so exercise caution. Please enjoy in moderation and never drink and drive.
More cocktail recipes
- Spiced rhubarb and orange prosecco cocktail – a fruity, fabulous celebration drink
- Cotswold sling – champagne and sloe gin cocktail
- Elderflower and ginger wine cocktail – a touch of spice
Jam Margarita
Equipment
- 1 wide-mouthed jam jar with lid
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp strawberry jam (or other flavour, to taste)
- 160 ml (0.66 cups) tequila
- 80 ml (0.33 cups) Cointreau (or other triple sec)
- 1 lime (juice)
To serve
- 1 lime (cut into wedges)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 4 strawberries (to garnish)
- ice
Instructions
- Put the jam, juice of one lime, tequila and triple sec in a wide-mouthed jam jar.2 tbsp strawberry jam, 160 ml tequila, 80 ml Cointreau, 1 lime (juice)
- Put the lid on tightly and shake well to dissolve the jam into the alcohol. Then put the jar in the fridge or freezer to chill.
- Run the fleshy side of the lime around the rim of your glasses. Spread the salt on a saucer and dip the rim of the glasses in, so that you have a salt crust around the rim.1 tsp sea salt, 1 lime
- Pour the margaritas into the glasses and serve garnished with strawberries and/or lime wedges.4 strawberries
Notes
Storage
Fridge – A margarita should be served cold, so unless you have chilled your spirits before making (and you can do this in the freezer very effectively), chill it in the fridge for an hour before serving. You can also make in advance and leave in the fridge for 24 hours before your guests arrive. Freezer – If you have the space, you can make margaritas and store in the freezer to enjoy at any time. The cocktail will not freeze solid, which means you can serve it very quickly. It also means you should store your margaritas in a well-sealed jam jars and keep them upright to avoid leaks.Hints and tips
- Chill the spirits before you start, as a margarita should be cold.
- To maximize the juice from the lime, roll the whole fruit on the kitchen counter under the heel of your hand with a little pressure before cutting. This breaks down the fibres inside and releases the juice.
- If you have a large enough freezer, make use of it. Frozen margaritas are delicious!
- Enjoy responsibly, as these drinks are strong!
Leave a Reply