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This sweet cherry Italian margarita is the perfect amaretto cocktail. It’s perfectly sweetened with fresh dark cherries and agave and balanced with lime and your favorite tequila or mezcal. Instead of orange liqueur (like a typical margarita), amaretto is shaken in to provide that delicious light and sweet almond flavor.
What is an Italian margarita?
An Italian margarita is a unique take on a classic margarita.
Typical margaritas are made up of tequila, agave, fresh lime juice, and orange liqueur.
To make it an Italian margarita, the orange liqueur is swapped with amaretto. It creates a margarita that’s less tangy and more smooth and sweet.
What is amaretto liqueur?
Amaretto is an Italian liqueur made from steeped almonds and/or apricot pits. It’s most commonly used in amaretto sours which is a sweet and tart cocktail typically made with bourbon.
It has a rich dark color and sweet almond flavor that makes any cocktail taste like dessert. The best way I can describe it is that it tastes just like the smell of almond extract. So if you love baking with almond extract, then you will definitely like amaretto!
How to make a cherry Italian margarita
Italian margaritas are typically flavored with orange juice and lime but since we’re in peak cherry season, I decided to add a unique spin on this cocktail.
So step one, remove the seeds and stems from fresh sweet dark cherries.
Drop five into a cocktail shaker along with agave and lime juice. These three are muddled together into a pulp, releasing all of that delicious sweet cherry flavor.
Once fully muddled, tequila and amaretto are added before it’s shaken with ice.
The pairing of the sweet cherries with the almond amaretto is a match made in heaven. This duo creates a delicious cocktail that’s very easy to drink.
Italian margarita mocktail variation
For an alcohol-free Italian margarita, make these two simple swaps:
Tequila – Sub the tequila with club soda
Amaretto – Sub the 1 oz of amaretto with 1/2 oz of diet cola and 1/2 oz of almond syrup. This type of syrup is typically used to flavor coffee, so it can be found in the coffee aisle of the grocery store.
For more cocktail recipes, check out my:
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make this cherry Italian margarita. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Cheers!
Watch how to make this sweet cherry Italian margarita!
Print Sweet Cherry Italian Margarita
If you’ve never tried an Italian margarita before, definitely make this your first one! Fresh sweet dark cherries are muddled with agave and lime juice and mixed with tequila and amaretto. It’s sweet, fresh, and so easy to make.
- Prep Time 5 minutes
- Total Time 5 minutes
- Yield 1 cocktail
Ingredients
Sweet Cherry Italian Margarita
- 5 sweet dark cherries, seeds and stems removed
- 1/2 oz agave
- 3/4 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 1/2 oz mezcal or blanco tequila
- 1 oz amaretto liqueur
Instructions
Sweet Cherry Italian Margarita
- Add the cherries, agave, and lime juice to a shaker.
- Muddle the cherries into a pulp, making sure each cherry is fully broken apart.
- Add the mezcal or tequila and amaretto.
- Add a handful of ice and shake for 30 seconds or until the shaker produces cold condensation all around the outside.
- Strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice and garnish with fresh cherries. Cheers!
Equipment
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Buy Now Notes
MOCKTAIL – Replace the tequila with club soda and the amaretto with 1/2 oz diet cola + 1/2 oz almond syrup (like this one from Torani). The mocktail version may be a bit sweeter, so pull back on the agave if needed.
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
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