Breakfast Margarita

Drinking a margarita before noon feels somehow wrong, but this breakfast margarita? It’s exactly right, thank you very marmalade. This spin on the classic takes the margarita basics—tequila, triple sec and lime—but replacess the usual simple syrup with a couple of spoonfuls of orange marmalade, which brings a deeper, slightly bitter orange flavor that a splash of orange juice just can’t match.

This jam-jar cocktail is what happens when I find a half-used jar of orange marmalade sitting in the back of my fridge—not quite toast-worthy, but too good to toss. Marmalade and jams actually make fantastic cocktail sweeteners, since they dissolve in the shaker and make a cocktail not just sweeter but fruitier. And it’s just that little tweak that takes this margarita from happy hour to brunch must-have.

Breakfast Margarita Ingredients

• Salt: A salted rim balances the sweetness of the marmalade and gives every sip a little savory contrast. Coarse kosher salt or a margarita salt blend both work well here.
• Lime wedge: Running a lime wedge around the glass gives the salt something to stick to, plus it adds a faint citrus scent to every sip before it even hits your lips.
• Blanco tequila: Blanco (aka silver) tequila is unaged, which keeps its bright, peppery agave flavor front and center. Save the aged reposado or añejo bottles for sipping neat.
• Triple sec: This orange-flavored liqueur adds a clean, slightly sweet citrus note that rounds out the tequila. Cointreau is a great upgrade if you want a more polished flavor.
• Freshly squeezed lime juice: Fresh lime juice is what separates a great margarita from a mediocre one. Bottled juice just isn’t quite as tangy, but it totally works in a pinch.
• Orange marmalade: Marmalade stands in for the usual simple syrup, adding sweetness along with a deeper, slightly bitter orange flavor from the peel. A chunkier, more bitter marmalade gives you a more pronounced orange bite.
• Orange wheel: A thin orange wheel echoes the marmalade flavors in the glass and makes the drink look like it belongs on the brunch table.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the glass

Pour a thin layer of salt onto a small saucer. Rub a lime wedge along half the rim of a margarita or rocks glass, then dip the moistened edge into the salt to coat. Fill the rocks glass and a cocktail shaker with ice.

Editor’s Tip: Salting only half the rim gives you (or your guests) the option to sip with or without salt, which is an easy way to please everyone at the table.

Step 2: Shake the cocktail

Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and orange marmalade to the shaker. Cover and shake until frost forms on the outside of the shaker, 15 to 20 seconds.

Editor’s Tip: Shake harder and longer than you think you need to. Marmalade is thicker than simple syrup, so it needs the extra agitation to fully break down and blend into the drink.

Step 3: Strain and garnish the cocktail

Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass. Garnish it with an orange wheel, if desired.

Breakfast Margarita Variations

• Try a different jam: Any citrus marmalade, or even apricot or peach preserves, can stand in for the orange marmalade if that’s what’s open in your fridge.
• Make it a pitcher: This recipe scales up easily for a crowd. Just multiply each ingredient by the number of servings you need,
• Go sparkling: Top the finished cocktail with a splash of club soda or sparkling wine for a lighter, fizzier version that stretches the drink a little further.

How to Store Breakfast Margarita

A breakfast margarita is best mixed and served fresh, since the ice dilutes it the moment it’s shaken. Get a head start by combining the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and marmalade ahead of time and storing the mixture in the fridge. Shake it with fresh ice right before serving the cocktails.

Can you make a breakfast margarita ahead of time?

You can mix the ingredients in a pitcher and store them in the fridge for several days, but I don’t recommend adding the ice. Once the drink is shaken with ice, plan to drink it right away, since the ice will continue to melt and water down the other ingredients.

Breakfast Margarita Tips

How can I adjust the sweetness of a breakfast margarita?

Start with 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade, taste and add the second tablespoon only if you want more sweetness. Because marmalade brands vary quite a bit in sugar content, tasting as you go is the easiest way to get the balance right.

What’s the secret to a perfectly frosted margarita glass?

You can always prep your glasses by keeping them in the freezer, but making your cocktail as cold as possible by shaking with plenty of ice for the full 15 to 20 seconds is what really makes it frosty. Cutting the shake time short is the most common reason a margarita comes out watery instead of properly chilled.

Can I make a breakfast margarita without triple sec?

You can make breakfast margaritas without triple sec, but the flavor will be a little less balanced. If you do decide to skip it, add an extra 1/2 tablespoon of marmalade to make up for the lost sweetness and orange flavor.