Frozen Cherry Vanilla Marg Recipe

Cook and strain

Pit and roughly chop 12 fresh or frozen sweet cherries. Place cherries with 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook gently, stirring, until cherries break down and release juices, about 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Purée in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Optional: strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove skins and solids for a silkier texture. Yield ~6 tablespoons.

Pour the coarse or vanilla sugar onto a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of two chilled margarita or coupe glasses. Dip rims into the sugar to coat evenly. Set glasses in the freezer or refrigerator to chill while you blend the drink.

Combine ingredients

In a high-powered blender add 6 oz El Jimador Blanco tequila, 2 oz Licor 43, 4 oz unsweetened cranberry juice, 2 oz fresh lime juice, 6 tbsp cherry puree, 0.5 tsp pure vanilla extract, and 1 oz simple syrup. Taste and adjust sweetness — add up to 0.5 oz more simple syrup if you prefer sweeter.

Add ice and blend

Add 10 cups of ice (start with 6–8 cups if using a smaller blender and add more to reach desired slush consistency). Pulse on low to break the ice, then blend on high until smooth and slushy, about 20–45 seconds depending on blender power. If mixture is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons cranberry juice or water and blend briefly. If too thin, add more ice and pulse until thickened.

Adjust and portion

Taste for balance of tartness, sweetness, and vanilla. Add a splash (up to 0.5 oz) more Licor 43 for extra vanilla-citrus warmth, or up to 0.5 oz more lime juice if it needs brightness. When balanced, pour the frozen cocktail into the prepared chilled glasses, leaving a little room at the top for garnish.

Skewer one or two maraschino or morello cherries on a cocktail pick and rest on the rim. Add a lime wedge to the rim and optionally tuck a fresh mint sprig into the drink for aroma. Serve immediately with a short straw and spoon for scooping.