Looking for a great way to invite tequila to your holiday table? These Thanksgiving tequila cocktails perfectly celebrate fall flavors.
And don’t worry, there are plenty of margaritas on this list!
By swapping out summer flavors like lemon and limes with fall-flavored mixers (like apple cider), it’s easy to create festive cocktails.
But there’s more than just margaritas on this list!
From tequila sours to spiced pear cocktails, there’s something here for everyone.
So grab your favorite brand of tequila and a few cinnamon sticks, and create some punchy Thanksgiving tequila cocktails!
1. Thanksgiving Margarita
Who says you can’t have margaritas at Thanksgiving?
This Thanksgiving margarita delivers serious fall flavors, and it looks like the part, too!
It earns a lovely shade of orange, just like the changing of the leaves, from apple cider and pear juice.
Tart apple juice has a similar acidity to classic lime juice, only muted.
It’s still tart like a margarita, with a gentle kiss of apple and cinnamon.
Garnish it with cinnamon, and lime wedges, and rim the glass with sugar for added sweetness.
2. Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Margarita
This gluten-free Thanksgiving margarita is similar to the margarita above, with a few twists.
It utilizes an apple cider base with more sour notes from cranberries and fresh lime juice.
For a burst of fall-flavored sweetness, it also incorporates a delicious honey and cinnamon simple syrup.
It’s tart, sweet, and so very pretty! Plus, it comes together in a matter of minutes.
And the best part is that it’s gluten-free, perfect for guests with gluten intolerances.
3. El Diablo
The El Diablo sounds like a Halloween tequila cocktail, but the spicy flavors and bright red colors are perfect for Thanksgiving.
To keep your cocktails on theme, this El Diablo cocktail fits the role perfectly.
It’s a lovely shade of red that fits right in with the cranberry sauce and tastes fantastic, too!
With both tart and spicy notes, it feels like putting on a warm fall sweater.
It incorporates tequila with crème de cassis (for that electric red color), lime juice, and ginger beer for a burst of bubbly spiciness.
4. Pomegranate Margarita
Did you know that pomegranates have a lot in common with cranberries?
They’re bright red and deliver a cranberry-like tartness, but they’re a little sweeter.
If you don’t like the overwhelming tartness of cranberry, pomegranates are the next best thing.
And using pomegranates makes a wonderfully tart and sweet margarita!
This pomegranate margarita is equal parts sweet and sour.
There’s tartness from the pomegranate juice and sweetness from simple syrup and triple sec.
5. Paloma
Thanksgiving is notorious for carb-rich, heavy foods.
So, to combat the heaviness of dinner, opt for this light and refreshing Paloma.
Palomas are similar to margaritas, but they feature fruity bubbly grapefruit soda.
I used grapefruit juice and club soda in mine since they’re easier to find. But either way, this is a winner!
6. Mezcal Margaritas
If you are unfamiliar with Mezcal, let me introduce you!
Mezcal fuses tequila ingredients (agave) with a bourbon-like distilling progress.
The finished product is an intensely smokey, flavorful spirit.
And it makes one mean margarita.
The flavors of this Mezcal margarita are tart but earn a smokey, spicy flavor that’s perfect for fall.
It has similar notes to dark liqueurs made in small batches, like bourbon, but it’s lighter with bold tequila notes.
These Mezcals margaritas aren’t your typical sweet-and-sour margs.
So add a little simple syrup if you prefer your margaritas on the sweeter side.
7. Easy Cranberry Margarita
Is there anything prettier than this cranberry margarita?
It earns a deep red coloring from cranberry juice and a pop of green from the lime garnish.
Cranberries are just as tart as lime, so you won’t lose tartness in this festive Thanksgiving margarita.
It’s mouth-puckeringly tart and only earns a gentle sweetness from triple sec.
If you love your margaritas tart rather than sweet, this easy cranberry margarita is a must-try.
And the best part? These cranberry margaritas are so easy and come together in minutes.
8. Pumpkin Spice Margarita
Is it even a Thanksgiving if pumpkin doesn’t make an appearance?
Pumpkin and margaritas may not sound like they go together, but the flavors work in this pumpkin spice margarita!
It pairs pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice with a tart kick from orange juice for intense pumpkin flavors.
It’s rich and warming like a pumpkin spice latte but still earns that classic margarita sourness from orange and fresh lime juice.
And a kick of ginger and cayenne pepper transform this festive drink into a spicy margarita.
9. Cinnamon Tequila Sour
You’ve heard of a whiskey sour, so why not a tequila sour?
This cinnamon tequila sour is super creamy with a kick of tartness from a fresh lemon.
The creamy notes come from a frothed egg white.
It’s creamy and tart, with warming notes from cinnamon. It’s perfect for a cozy Thanksgiving with a roaring fire in the background.
And if you don’t like drinking an egg white, you can substitute it for aquafaba or omit it completely.
However, it won’t be as creamy and smooth if you don’t substitute the egg white.
10. Spiced Pear Cocktail
Apples, cranberries, and pumpkins dominate during the fall, but pears are a fall fruit, too!
This spiced pear cocktail is a must-try, especially if you love the gentle fruity flavors of pears.
It infuses pear nectar with fresh lemon juice, honey, citrus bitters, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
The gentle flavors of pear and honey make it a lovely, spiced drink that gives apples and pumpkins a run for their money.
Seriously, it tastes like all the best parts of fall in a glass – with tequila! What’s not to love?
10 Thanksgiving Tequila Cocktails (Margaritas and More)
These Thanksgiving tequila cocktails pack quite a bunch! From margaritas to Palomas, you’ll want to sample each and every one on this list.
Ingredients
Thanksgiving Margarita
El Diablo
Pomegranate Margarita
Paloma
Mezcal Margaritas
Easy Cranberry Margarita
Pumpkin Spice Margarita
Cinnamon Tequila Sour
Spiced Pear Cocktail
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a Thanksgiving cocktail in 30 minutes or less!
