Grinchmas Margarita

It’s the… the… the… The Grinchmas Margarita! She’s a mean one, with mezcal, Midori, pineapple juice, lime juice, and orange liqueur. The scary green color (from Midori melon liqueur) makes it the perfect holiday cocktail, especially when you garnish the rim with shredded coconut or red sprinkles. Whichever version of the Grinch you love most, mix up a batch of these margaritas and press play. Who knows, your heart might even grow a couple sizes that very same day.

How to Make a Grinchmas Margarita

1. Add mezcal, Midori, pineapple juice, lime juice, and orange liqueur (like Cointreau) to a cocktail shaker.
2. Add ice and shake.
3. Double strain into a glass with fresh ice.
4. Rim the glass with shredded coconut or red sprinkles for a festive presentation.

Grinchmas Margarita Ingredients

Mezcal

A classic margarita is usually made with tequila, but there are no rules against using mezcal instead. It’s a bit more complex and different bottles have different levels of smokiness. Check out my Mezcal Guide for the bottles I recommend.

Midori

Midori means “green” in Japanese, which is where this bright green melon liqueur originates. It’s sweet and tropical with about 20% ABV. It’s famously used in a Midori Sour, which is the perfect cocktail for other holidays like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.

Pineapple Juice

Without a juicer, extracting pineapple juice can be a bit of a pain, so I give you permission to buy a bottle of pineapple juice at the store. Just make sure it’s pure pinapple juice with no added sugar.

Lime Juice

If it ain’t fresh, we don’t want it!

Orange Liqueur

Another classic margarita ingredient. I always use Cointreau, which is a brand of triple sec, but you can use any orange liqueur you like. If you’re like me and make a lot of margaritas, go for the good stuff.

Tips for Making the Best Grinchmas Margarita

• Use high quality spirits. There’s never an occasion when I don’t recommend this, but this Grinch Margarita packs a punch, so you’ll definitely taste the difference.
• Get creative with the rims and garnishes. For Christmas, I love using shredded coconut to mimic snow, or a simple red sprinkle rim to go full-on Christmas. Because this margarita contains melon liqueur, you could also get fancy with cutting fresh honeydew melon into holiday shapes, like a Christmas tree. You could also tie a ribbon around your glasses if you’re hosting to present your guests with a “gift” when they arrive.
• The fresher the juice, the better. I always use fresh squeezed citrus juice in my cocktails. For something a little more tricky to juice without a juicer, like pineapple juice, just buy a good one from teh store that doesn’t have added sugar.
• Use cold ingredients!

Why You’ll Love This Grinchmas Margarita

• This Grinch margarita is an obvious choice for holiday hosting. The bright green color from the Midori is very Christmas, especially with fun, festive garnishes and rims.
• You can make this exact recipe any time of year and just call it something else. St. Patrick’s Day is an obvious choice because of the color.
• Despite the name, this cocktail’s tropical flavors make it the perfect summer cocktail as well. Think Christmas in July.

Grinchmas Margarita Variations

• I’ve also made a totally different Grinchmas Margarita that was more of a healthy green juice version. I blended up cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeño with water and swapped that for the pineapple juice.
• Make it spicy by adding 1/2 – 3/4 oz. Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Poblano Liqueur.