Cocktail

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You've found the perfect recipe to discover how great a Margarita made with Grand Marnier can be.

It's smooth and tastes top shelf thanks to the balanced ratios of each ingredient which makes it an easy cocktail to sip, sip, sip!

Can You Use Grand Marnier Instead of Cointreau in a Margarita?

Yes, you can! While most Classic Margarita recipes call for Cointreau or triple sec, I've found that people who prefer top-shelf liquor, premium cocktails, or enjoy whiskey, love using it to make their margaritas -myself included!

Unlike a Caddilac Margarita, which uses both liquors and is rather strong, this Grand Marnier Margarita recipe has just the right balance of sweet, brandy-like notes to the peppery aftertastes of silver or Blanco tequila.

I highly recommend you use good tequila when making this drink, whether it's blanco or a good reposado because the taste will shine through since the ingredients are minimal and pure.

Flavor Differences

Using Grand Marnier instead of Cointreau to make a margarita is will change the flavor of the margarita slightly. While both are orange liquors, Grand Marnier is a blend of orange liquor and brandy while Cointreau (and triple sec) is 100% orange liquor.

Therefore, a margarita made with Grand Marnier will have the subtle sweet, vanilla-like citrus flavor from the brandy which makes this cocktail delightful!

What You Need

You'll find the ingredient amounts to this Grand Marnier Margarita in the recipe card; but first, check out what each ingredient brings to this recipe:

Tequila: a good tequila is essential for this premium cocktail. I recommend a clean Blanco tequila or a reposado tequila.
Grand Marnier: the star of the show in this premium cocktail. It's used instead of triple sec or Cointreau.
Lime juice: fresh lime is the only way to go for this drink.
Simple syrup: I firmly believe this recipe has the right ratio of spirits to citrus and it doesn't need any sweetener. I included how much to add below if that's how you like it.
Garnish: salt or no salt on the rim that's up to you! Add an extra lime wedge and squeeze! It will be so good!

Grand Marnier Margarita Ingredients, tequila. simple syrup, lime, grand marnier

How to Make a Margarita with Grand Marnier

If your mouth isn't watering yet, it's about to! There are some simple steps to making this classic cocktail with Grand Marnier. Here are some tips for each:

Prep the glass
If you enjoy a salted rim, do this step first. You'll want to pour your Margarita right away, I'm sure.
Make the cocktail
Add ice to the cocktail shaker and all the ingredients. Shake it up until the sides are frosted.
Serve
For premium cocktails like this one, you'll want fresh ice in your glass. Then, use a strainer to pour the margarita through and garnish. Fresh, fresh, fresh!

Watch this to see this drink come together.

Tips for the Best Margarita

Alright friend, before you sip on and get merry, I leave you with a few tips to make this the best margarita you've ever had.

Use the good stuff
If there's a time to bring out your reposado or more expensive tequila, this is it.

Fresh limes only
Don't waste your Grand Marnier on bottled concentrates or margarita mixes for parties. Heck no.

Shake it, a lot
Mixing your cocktail isn't enough. You want to shake it for about 30 seconds. This will chill the Margarita, mix the ingredients well, and some of the ice will be diluted into the drink -not a lot but it's part of the ratios.

Use simple syrup
Sugar, honey, or maple syrup will not dissolve in cold liquids. You can easily make simple syrup for cocktails at home or dissolve honey or maple syrup with hot water at a 50/50 ratio, so it can then incorporate itself and sweeten the cocktail.

How to Serve This Grand Marnier Cocktail

While there's no wrong way of enjoying this cocktail, you'll want to ensure it's really cold so shake, shake, shake! It's usually presented in a lowball glass, which looks similar to a whiskey glass with ice. Rimming the glass is optional and a freshly squeezed lime wedge is always highly recommended for garnishing.