How to Color Margarita Drinks

Add some color to your margaritas for a fun summer treat.

Colorful margaritas will help you match your drinks to the decor or theme of a party. While there are a few ways to add color to a cocktail, many of those color agents (especially those of the liqueur variety) also come with a taste that may clash with the tequila and lime of the margarita. Therefore, it's important to use an ingredient that will add color and harmonious flavor, or no flavor at all.

Things You'll Need

• Tequila
• Orange liqueur
• Fresh lime juice
• Fruit puree (strawberry, raspberry, passion fruit, mango, blood orange, grapefruit)
• Blue Curacao liqueur
• Hpnotiq liqueur
• Chambord liqueur
• Food coloring

Instructions

1. Mix up the ingredients for a classic margarita: 2 ounces of tequila, 1/2 ounce of orange liqueur and a splash of lime juice.

2. Use one tablespoon of fresh fruit puree per glass to add a natural color to the mix. Strawberry and raspberry give off a vibrant red; mangoes and passion fruit are a pretty yellow; blood oranges will turn it orange; pink grapefruit makes it pink.

3. Add a splash of Blue Curacao or Hpnotiq to the margarita mix for a turquoise blue.

4. Add a splash of Chambord raspberry liqueur to create purple margaritas.

5. Use food coloring to turn your margaritas whichever color you like. This method avoids adding more flavors or textures to the classic margarita mix.

Tips & Warnings

• Food coloring can also work well with store-bought iced margarita mixes. Simply put a portion of the mix in the blender with your choice of food coloring and blend until the color is combined.

• Using fruit purees will leave your margarita slightly pulpy. If you don't want that to happen, use food coloring instead.

References

• Canadian Living: Classic Margarita Recipe
• Liqueur Drink Recipes: Hpnotiq Margarita Recipe