Fresh Kiwi Margarita

This recipe is a quick and easy variation to one of my favorite cocktails, the margarita. This famously sweet and salty concoction be me made into a myriad of varieties. The addition of kiwi fruit to a classic margarita recipe creates perhaps the easiest and tastiest rendition of this summer sipper. Or spring, or fall, or winter sipper. You get the gist. Margaritas might feel the best on a hot summer beach day, but they are totally appropriate to drink in any place, any time of the year.

To make a kiwi margarita, you simply need to add freshly chopped kiwifruit to a classic margarita recipe. For additional pizzaz and freshness, you may opt to include a fresh mint leaf into your kiwi margarita, but that’s totally optional.

Native to China and originally known as gooseberries, the fruit is now cultivated worldwide and is most often referred to as “kiwifruit”. In the early 1900s, New Zealand was one of the first countries outside of China to commercially grow the fruit. It was initially called “Zespri” within the New Zealand market. Major New Zealand producers began to export the fruit to the United States in the 1950s, and soon thereafter, Turners and Growers, one of the country’s largest producers, announced they would begin marketing the fruit as “kiwifruit”. Implied in the title of this recipe, the rest is history. The name “kiwifruit” obviously stuck across much of the Western world.

What ingredients make a classic margarita?

There are three primary ingredients necessary to create any kind of margarita. Using just the three ingredients listed below will result in a simple and classic margarita, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

1. Tequila: Any kind of tequila can be used to make a margarita, but blanco is the preferred option. The higher the quality of your tequila, the better your margarita will taste. Don’t skimp on the quality of the tequila just because it’s going to be mixed with other ingredients. The quality, and by virtue, the flavor of the tequila is the most important determinant of a margarita’s overall quality.
2. Lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is a must. You can opt for store bought lime juice, but you’re going to being sacrificing on the overall quality of your margarita.
3. Orange liqueur: Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and Triple Sec are the most common orange liqueurs used in a margarita. There’s a multitude of orange liqueur alternatives that are fine to use as well. This is where you can begin to experiment with variations to your favorite margarita recipe. A different flavored liqueur can help you segue away from a classic margarita; pomegranate, grapefruit, and passionfruit are just some examples of flavored liqueur alternatives that can be tested out.

A common ratio of the above ingredients are 1 1/2 ounces of tequila to 1 ounce of lime juice to 3/4 ounce of orange liqueur. These can be adjusted based on your taste preferences of course.

The following ingredients are also commonly used to create a margarita, but their inclusion isn’t necessary to consider your beverage a classic margarita.

1. Salt: Salt is often used to rim the glass a margarita is going to be served in, but many choose to also sprinkle just a bit of salt in the cocktail itself. This is up to you and based on your taste preferences, but rimming the glass is very normal. To do so, simply rub a freshly cut lime wedge around the top rim of a cocktail glass. Gently dip the glass into a dish of salt until it’s well coated.
2. Sweetener: Agave or simple syrup are the best options for sweetening your margarita. If you’re making a classic margarita, I would recommend adding 1/2 ounce of sweetener. If you’re making a variation to a classic margarita, additional flavors – like fresh fruits – may naturally sweeten the cocktail, so keep this in mind. You don’t want the margarita to be too sweet.

Fresh Kiwi Margarita

5 from 1 vote

Course: CocktailsCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Total time

10

minutes

Freshly chopped and muddled kiwifruit shaken into a classic margarita recipe creates an easy and tasty variation to this salty and sweet cocktail favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 whole 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped

• 2 ounces 2 tequila blanco

• 1 ounce 1 orange liqueur

• 1 ounce 1 lime juice, freshly squeezed

• 1/2 ounce 1/2 simple syrup

• 1 leaf 1 mint (optional)

• ice to shake

Directions

• Muddle 2 peeled and chopped kiwis in a cocktail shaker. You want to release as much juice as possible.
• To the same cocktail shaker, add tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup, (optional) mint leaf, and ice. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.
• Using a strainer, pour into a salt rimmed cocktail glass. Served with a fresh lime or kiwi wedge a mint leaf if you used it.
• Add fresh ice if necessary. The ice in the cocktail shaker is likely to be covered in muddled kiwi.