A little sweeter than a lime margarita, but still with a bit of tart, this refreshing kumquat margarita makes a great cocktail by the poolside, for happy hour or at your next dinner party.
This month I have been testing the waters and branching out with different cocktails and liquors. Today I am going back to one of my favorites, the margarita. And living in San Diego, you can enjoy mighty fine margaritas whenever you go out.
And since National Margarita Day on February 22nd, I thought a kumquat margarita would be a fun spin on the traditional lime margarita.
Have you ever tried kumquats? I’m amazed that many of my friends know about kumquats, but have never tried them. I suppose a lot of the problem is the confusion on how to eat a kumquat. And some people get loquats and kumquats confused.
The kumquat is part of the citrus family, while the loquat is kinda like a plum. The kumquat is kinda opposite of the typical citrus fruit. It has a sweet skin and a sour center. And the entire fruit is edible.
Kumquats do have seeds and they are edible. But, I personally, do not like the large seeds and do not eat them. When cooking or baking with kumquats, I usually remove all seeds first.
Kumquats are such a fine fruit, in my opinion. I love the fact that you can just pop them in your mouth, skin and all. Sweet on the outside with a burst of sour from the inside, just throw the seeded kumquats in the blender with the rest of your cocktail ingredients.
I don’t like diluting my margaritas with crushed ice, so this recipe is served on the rocks.
Happy Margarita Day!
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Ingredients needed
- Kumquats: You want fresh, ripe kumquats for this recipe. Make sure there are no holes where bugs are visible.
- Tequila: You can’t have margaritas without tequila. Choose your favorite brand.
- Grand Marnier: Triple Sec or any other orange liqueur can be used.
- Simple syrup: I had simple syrup in the fridge, so I used it as my sweetener. You can also use agave syrup. To make simple syrup combine equal parts water and sugar and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Lime juice: For extra tang, I added lime juice. You can just use kumquats or add some lemon juice instead.
- Coarse salt: If you like to salt the rims, be sure to have some coarse on hand.
Step-by-step directions
- Prep the kumquats. Cut kumquats in half and remove seeds.
- Add to blender. Once seeded, add the kumquats to your blender with tequila, Grand Marnier, simple syrup and lime juice.
- Serve. Moisten the rim of two glasses with water and dip into coarse salt. Fill glasses with ice and pour in margaritas.
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More kumquat desserts and recipes
- Cardamom Kumquat Bars
- Kumquat Upside Down Cake
- Kumquat Marmalade with Orange Blossom Water
- Kumquat Liqueur
Kumquat Margarita
Ingredients
- 4 oz kumquats approximately 14
- ½ cup tequila
- 1 ½ oz Grand Marnier
- 1 oz simple syrup
- ½ oz lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut kumquats in half and remove seeds.
- Once seeded, add the kumquats to your blender with tequila, Grand Marnier, simple syrup and lime juice.
- Moisten the rim of two glasses with lime, kumquat or water.
- Line a small plate with salt and dip glass rims into the salt.
- Fill glasses with ice and pour in margaritas. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
This margarita makes me want to swoon. I really like the recipe and the photo is beautiful.
Finally, a recipe involving kumquats that I can get behind – too bad I missed planning for Margarita Day. I won’t next year…