Prickly Pear Margarita

What are prickly pears?

Prickly pears are a cactus fruit, specifically from the Nopal cactus. The hairy, prickly fresh fruit are called tunas, and they have a juicy pantone pink interior with a soft taste that’s a cross between watermelon, raspberry and bubble gum.

The flavor and sweetness are feint and require a slight acidity to reach their full potential.

For the prickly pear margarita, I do this by making prickly pear syrup, which is quick and easy to do and makes an ample amount for lots of prickly pear drinks and cocktails.

The syrup lasts for weeks in the refrigerator and can even be frozen into ice cubes, so you can enjoy a prickly pear margarita long after the season is over.

Why you’ll love prickly pear margaritas

• You can make prickly pear syrup in advance, so the drinks take no time at all to make.
• Despite appearances, it’s not a candy-sweet drink. The flavor is wonderfully balanced with a citrusy finish from Cointreau and lime juice.
• The electric pink color the prickly pear gives this cocktail will make you feel like a kid.
• You can make a prickly pear margarita by the glass or pitcher (for a crowd). How convenient.

How to make a prickly pear margarita

1. Rim the glass with margarita salt.
2. Add ice to a cocktail shaker, followed by tequila, prickly pear syrup, Cointreau and lime juice.
3. Seal with the lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until the shaker is icy cold.
4. Fill the glass with fresh ice and strain the prickly pear margarita into the glass.
5. Garnish with a lime slice.

All margarita recipes start with a salt rim, and this prickly pear version is no different.

However, I do have a tip (which is genius) for getting the margarita salt to stick to the rim. (Oh, and incidentally, you can use kosher salt if you don’t have margarita salt. It’s the same thing. Really.)

How to make margarita salt really stick to the rim of your glass

My husband, Scott, has a trick for making the salt stick to the edge better than the traditional methods—his secret—is agave nectar.

Most recipes will have you dipping a glass into water or running a lime wedge around the rim to moisten it and help the rimming salt stick.

The trouble is the salt doesn’t hold. It usually begins to drop after your first sip and doesn’t last through the whole cocktail.

Scott uses a pastry brush to “paint” the glass rim with agave syrup. It’s sticky and has staying power in a way that water or lime juice doesn’t (and hey, tequila is made from agave, so it’s not a stretch).

What’s the best tequila for prickly pear margaritas?

I recommend tequila blanco because it has a neutral color that doesn’t detract from the bold hue of the prickly pear.

You could also use reposado tequila, but I reserve añejo for sipping on its own.

I used Teremana, a small batch tequila made in Mexico’s Jalisco highlands for this prickly pear margarita. However, you can use whatever brand you prefer. It’s your drink, after all.

FAQs

More refreshing cocktails to try:

• Frozen Mango Daiquiri
• Sparkling Cucumber Melon
• Passion Fruit Vodka Soda
• Red White and Blue Sangria
• If You Like Pina Coladas…
• Planter’s Punch
• Tropical Bubbly Passion Fruit Mojito
• Banana Cabana – A Caribbean Drink
• Guava Banana Rum Daiquiris
• Rhubarb Ginger Gin Rickey Recipe
• Key Lime Colada
• Summer Sipper Sangria

More margarita recipes you’ll love:

• Blood Orange Margarita
• Watermelon Margarita Recipe (3 Ingredients)
• Shaken Mango Margarita
• Quenching Hibiscus Margarita
• Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita
• Sparkling Cara Cara Margaritas
• Spicy Cucumber Kiwi Jalapeno Margarita