Thanksgiving Margarita

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Cocktail History

The Thanksgiving Margarita is an autumn cocktail that was created by bartender Naren Young at Dante in New York City, New York. Meant to be a holiday-inspired variation of the iconic lime Margarita, the recipe calls for the classic mixture of tequila, lime, agave syrup, and salt, but it adds a layer of autumnal complexity with a spoonful of pumpkin purée and a ground ginger rim.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Tequila Reposado: This is a type of tequila made in Mexico with blue agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged from two to twelve months. I used Arette Tequila Reposado.

Pumpkin Purée: This is cooked pumpkin that has been blended into a smooth pulp. I used Farmer’s Market Foods Organic Pumpkin Purée.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Agave Syrup: This is a sweetener made with the liquid inside agave plants, sugar, and water. I made mine at home using this recipe.

Allspice Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with allspice berries, spices, sugar, and rum. I used St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram.

Amaretto Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in Italy with almonds, spices, and alcohol. I used Di Amore Amaretto Liqueur.

Ground Ginger: This is a spice. I used Simply Organic Ground Ginger.

Salt: This is a mineral. I used Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.

Lime Slice: This is a slice of lime that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Roasted Pumpkin Slice: This is a slice of pumpkin that has been roasted and cut into a moon shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Warm orange color

• Aroma: Ginger, agave, and pumpkin

• Taste: Salt and ginger followed by a pumpkin-forward flavor accented with tequila, nuttiness, and baking spices

• Finish: Tangy lime and pumpkin notes

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “I tried two or three versions of a fall Margarita this year, and I think this version is as close as you can get to a palatable take that still uses lime. I ended up preferring lemon over its tangier sibling in the Pumpkin Spice Margarita, and although I do think this one would taste better with lemon too, leaving it as the more pure Margarita template works. It has a thicker texture because of the pumpkin purée/butter, so be warned. That could be a little off-putting for some. Overall though, the Thanksgiving Margarita is good, but I think I prefer the lemon variations quite a bit more.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Liquor.com, an online beverage publication.