Chambord Raspberry Margarita on the Rocks

I like my margarita on the rocks, it’s just the way I am. Beyond that, I’m not super picky, as long as there’s tequila involved. In this variation, seasonal fresh raspberries combine with Chambord raspberry liqueur for a light and refreshing summer cocktail.

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Raspberry picking is not my favorite activity. They are hard to find, and there are too many bees. But having that perfect raspberry slide off the bush, and you pop it in your mouth perfectly fresh —  it’s just a chef’s kiss burst of flavor. I suggest using the freshest berries you can find in this recipe, even if they aren’t just picked.

They are the main source of sweetness in what’s otherwise a fairly strong margarita. It has all the classic pieces: tequila, lime, orange liqueur, and a salt rim. But the little extra that the Chambord and fresh raspberries add will make it a true summer staple.

What You Need to Get Started

You can easily find all of the ingredients for this Chambord Raspberry Margarita at your local store:

• Spice Rack: Sea salt, Sparkling sugar
• From the Bar: Reposado tequila (Hornitos), Orange liqueur (DeKuyper O3), Chambord raspberry liqueur
• Produce: Limes, Raspberries
• Equipment: Cocktail shaker, Citrus press

Let’s Make a Chambord Raspberry Margarita

This drink comes together fairly quickly. There are no fancy syrups to prepare in advance, it’s just a quick and easy margarita. However, I do suggest preparing your garnishes before mixing up the drink, especially if you are making a big batch at once.

I used a lime twist along with some fresh berries on a cocktail skewer. If you prefer something a bit more rustic, feel free to just toss some berries in the glass or add on a lime wedge instead. There’s no wrong way to garnish. However, if you do want to try the lime twist, it’s actually super simple.

Cut a slice of lime from the center, about a sixth of an inch thick. Then use a sharp paring knife to cut around the inside of the peel, separating the juicy flesh of the lime from the white pith. Once you have isolated the rind, simply coil it or wrap around a straw to create that curl.

I built my garnishes by skewering just one edge of the lime twist followed by two berries, which I added onto the skewer sideways. Then I gently wrapped the lime around the berries. If it’s not holding the curl well, you can skewer the other end, but I found that I didn’t have to.

The next step of the margarita is, of course, the salt rim. In this version, I wanted to add both a little bit of sweetness and some extra color. I decided to combine sea salt with a colorful sparkling sugar. I used red, but green or white would also coordinate nicely with this drink.

Combine the two together and then spread the mixture on a small saucer or plate. Wet the outside of the top edge your cocktail glass using some lime juice or just water. Then dip it into the salt mixture, spinning and tilting it slightly to coat the rim. Finally, add your ice to the glass and set it aside.

When it comes to glasses, I like this kind of margarita in a slightly fancy-looking rocks or double old fashioned glass. However, you can use a traditional margarita glass as well. I also liked this drink with one giant ice cube, but a handful of standard size cubes will work nicely too.

Now you are ready to grab your cocktail shaker and mix up a margarita! Fill the shaker about halfway with ice. For this, definitely use regular ice, not a giant cube. Then, add in the rest of the ingredients.

I generally use a reposado tequila when making margaritas, and Hornitos is my favorite at a very good price point. It’s the bottle that I always keep on my bar. You can also use a silver or white tequila in this, but I like the extra depth added with the slight aging of a reposado.

A bottle labeled orange liqueur tends to be higher quality and slightly pricier than triple sec. There isn’t a strict definition, since most orange liqueurs fit into the triple sec category as well. Either way, you’ll get a nice orange flavor added to your drink.

Finally, Chambord is the last liquor used in this recipe. This is a raspberry liqueur, and while I have tried others at a lower price point, I don’t think they compare. Since this margarita highlights the raspberry flavor, I would go for the real thing in this case.

For non-alcoholic ingredients, lime juice provides a lovely base for margaritas, complimenting the tequila nicely. I definitely recommend that you use fresh squeezed juice from actual limes, and not bottled juice here.

Finally, you’ll toss in a couple raspberries. I used three large ones, but if yours are small, you may want to use more. You don’t need to smash them; shaking will break them apart, since the berries are fragile. But you can kind of use your thumb to flatten them out before adding to the shaker.

Place the lid on your cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously until the metal starts to feel very cold on your hands. This takes about fifteen seconds. Strain the mixed drink into the prepared glasses, on top of the ice. Add your garnish on top, and enjoy.

How to Serve Raspberry Margaritas

A nice cold margarita is perfect to enjoy any time of the day. Sit on your porch in the afternoon with a snack of lemon curd sandwich cookies. Or serve these for happy hour alongside peach and mango iced tea spritzers as a non-alcoholic choice.

My favorite way to enjoy a light and refreshing cocktail like this is with brunch, of course! Serve these with plenty of other berry flavors, like a strawberry rhubarb crumble or a roasted strawberry coffee cake.

For a fun Mexican-flavored brunch, try these drinks served along with the equally summery mango and corn huevos rancheros, and a side of spicy Old Bay breakfast potatoes. You could even offer another similar cocktail, a sweet and spicy paloma.

Use Up Leftover Ingredients

• Try tequila, orange liqueur, and lime in another marg variation, with a spicy pineapple margarita.
• Chambord adds its signature flavor to a boozy raspberry white hot cocoa.
• Toss some fresh raspberries into a dragon fruit rose sangria.

Special Equipment

• Cocktail shaker
• Citrus press

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• Glasses 
• Pink striped towel
• Cocktail skewers
• Paring knife
• Small pink plate