Orange Marmalade Margarita Cocktail
I have often advocated the use of jam to bring flavors to margaritas and now this Orange Marmalade Margarita takes the Marmalade route. They’re great when you’re in a pinch for fresh fruit!
Go on, share all your photos of flowers and tree bursting with blooms. I don’t care. Much. I’m buying blooms so I don’t travel down some rabbit hole of seasonal depression. Sometimes I want to literally sob when I see how gorgeous it is everywhere but Denver.
I did not know our seasons would be different after moving here from the South and it was years before I didn’t rail at the sky about having to wait until mid-May to plant but after a while it just becomes commonplace and life goes on (and our splendid summers without humidity do help to make up for it!).
Then something happened to change everything and that something is called Social Media. Now I know what someone is doing in their garden, I see the images of flowers, tree lined streets bursting with blooms and kids playing outside all while I’m sipping some coffee and wondering if the dusting of snow we had this morning will melt today.
I want to revert to childhood and have a tantrum but then I recall those never worked and doubt it would now. Don’t you know, we are ready too??!! But we have to be a bit more patient and I’m hoping this citrus inspired cocktail will help!
I did have to make a grocery run for the Orange Marmalade; not something I typically do. So I checked out my fridge and pantry and found a couple of other things I needed and headed out. Of course I left the list I made at home and hoped I was remembering the items on it. I did a great job if you can forgive me for forgetting the orange marmalade that was the sole purpose of the trip in the first place! Really Barbara? I thoroughly berated myself and made plans to go again.
Thankfully I found a perfect trade. My neighbor Amy asked if I wanted to watch her pup AND she had a new jar of orange marmalade in her pantry that I could use. Shh…don’t tell; but I won. I adore the pup AND I didn’t have to shop again? No trade there; as a matter of fact I think I owe her!
The original recipe was inspired by one I was sent from the folks at Partida tequila; I made a couple of revisions including their name. As cute as ‘Breakfast Margarita’ might sound I didn’t go that direction mostly because I don’t recommend a margarita in the morning. Why? Because I’ve made and HAD a margarita in the morning and I was wasted. Not wasted in the sense someone in their 20’s might be alluding too. Nope; I just wanted to nap at 10am. Oh why can’t we nap when we want to now that we know how nice it is? WHY????
This was so easy to put together and really the perfect cocktail. I didn’t add my standard salt/sugar mix to the rim but you could; it was just interesting to have a margarita without it for a change. The jam? Just perfect. Marmalade includes some of the rind in the processing so it’s not as sweet as jelly or preserves and it added a great touch to this cocktail. If you’re not experimenting with jams in your cocktail making; why not?
They are a great alternative, especially during the cooler months when they can open doors to cocktail making that might not be possible for lack of fresh fruit. I made this Rosemary Cherry Crush in 2013 with tequila, rosemary and cherry preserves and it remains a huge favorite today so I’m no stranger to the use of preserves. Bartenders have been using them for decades too so I know I’m on the right path.
Next? How about something with peach? Peaches make their presence known here in late summer but I’m thinking a Peach Julep would be nice for the Derby, hmm? Let’s plan on it. The flowers will be in bloom by then too. Or had better be! 🙂
PIN ‘Orange Marmalade Margarita’
Orange Marmalade Margarita Cocktail
Ingredients
- 3 oz Blanco Tequila
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ oz Orange Liqueur
- 4 tsp orange marmalade
- ½ oz Agave syrup 1 part agave nectar and 1 part water or make a simple syrup with 1 part sugar and 1 part water heated just until the sugar dissolves; cool.
- Orange slices for garnish
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients except the orange slices into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until ice cold and strain into an ice filled rocks glass.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Wow!!!! Made lemon marmalade a couple of weeks ago ( a case of the Costco “overbuy”) and used it instead. Had a bottle Limoncello hanging around, used that instead of the orange. We are loving this! Cheers from Utah….
Ooh that sounds good too Esther, so glad you tried it; I loved it too. I have the limoncello but guess I would have to overbuy at Costco and make marmalade before I can try your version! Thanks for letting me know; I simply love hearing from people who try a recipe!
It could be worse. We’re not far off winter and Spring flowers are a LONG way away.
I’d have one of these wonderful orange marmalade margaritas to drown my sorrows in.
Well the beauty of an orange marmalade margarita is that you just need a grocery store. I know exactly now you feel; I feel the same when our roles are reversed. We should house share; you come here for your winter and stay with me and I’ll head to AUS come November…deal?
I so need to make this! I have everything in my pantry except the orange marmalade. It sounds like the perfect way to celebrate the weekend.
I almost used Peach preserves but glad I forged ahead with the marmalade; it was really SO good!
I am forever leaving my list at home. Do I get points for good intentions? This cocktail is brilliant! Pinned.
SO glad I am not alone Jennie!
Never ever would have thought to use orange marmalade in a margarita! But I really like the idea. Hmm, we’re probably doing Mexican for dinner tonight — need to check and see if we have orange marmalade on hand. Otherwise, shopping trip. Which we need to do anyway to get more bedding plants for our veggie garden. 😉 Fun stuff — thanks.
Please reread my paragraph about shopping trip and make sure you actually get the marmalade, OK? 🙂
I love how creative this margarita is! Pass me one? 😉
Thanks Rachel; tasted so good too and lucky me I have a 2nd one I didn’t photo in the fridge. Come on over!
This sounds great…thanks!
I should know better when I’m THAT tired to trust my final edit. Good catch; I’ve fixed it. I managed to use the quantity for the marmalade for the agave; so both items have changed!
I have to say that your photo is absolutely retro and I love it! I am just the opposite of you, we had mild mild mild and I was praying for snow and lots of it! But now that spring is here and the flowers in our courtyard are blooming, I am rather happy. I am so loving your drink!
I pray for snow too; even if I’m sick of it because our water use in the summer depends on it. But this time of year is tough; we can have nice days but also a blizzard so no planting anything tender outside yet. Tree are just starting to bud and I’m seeing a few leaves on bushes. The weeds are coming along just fine; of course! 🙂