A lemony Italian margarita is the perfect summer cocktail! Cool off with this bright and citrusy beverage that is super easy to make. You’ll love this fun twist on the classic margarita.
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Italian Margarita Recipe
Italian margaritas may just be the most perfect drink for summer! Loaded with bright limoncello and fresh basil, it’s such a refreshing cocktail to sip on a warm day. You’ll think you stepped right into Italy!
A lot of Italian margarita recipes, like the one at Olive Garden, have about a shot of amaretto in each cocktail. But I decided to leave out the almond liqueur and use limoncello instead. And WOW did it revolutionize this beverage! The flavors are so bright and citrusy and meld together perfectly.
This easy recipe is a delicious Italian twist on the classic margarita. With just a slightly different flavor profile, it creates a totally different cocktail experience! It’d be a fabulous beverage to serve on pasta night with penne rosa or taco night with some chips & guac, but it’s also lovely to sip on during cocktail hour.
You may have heard of this cocktail from restaurants, but now you can make it all on your own! Made with fresh citrus juices, this tangy cocktail is irresistibly delicious.
More Italian cocktails: Peach Bellini • Classic Negroni • Aperol Spritz
Why you’ll love this recipe
This yummy cocktail is so easy to love! There’s just so much good in this quick and simple recipe:
- This Italian flair on the classic margarita is really easy to make. You don’t need to be a pro bartender to make delicious cocktails!
- An Italian margarita is perfect for parties and other celebrations. It’s the perfect balance of elegant and fun!
- Easily adapt and change this recipe to add other fun ingredients. It’s really easy to change up so that you can make it exactly how you want it.
Ingredients
Check out this list of simple ingredients so that you can have everything you need to make Italian margaritas:
Italian Margarita Ingredients
- tequila: Blanco, or silver tequila, is best for these shots because it is clear and colorless. Gold tequila has added caramel color to make it appear aged, and it will alter the color of this yellow cocktail. I don’t recommend it for these, but it will taste just fine if you use it.
- limoncello: Did you know you can make your own limoncello?! It’s so good and so easy, but you can usually buy it at the liquor store.
- lime juice: Making your own lime juice with fresh limes makes a big difference if you have the time!
- agave nectar: Agave goes well in margaritas because it’s made from the same plant as tequila. However, plain simple syrup will also work.
- triple sec: You can use any orange liqueur here. Triple sec is very affordable, while a top shelf option like Cointreau would take these up a notch.
- basil: Shaking these drinks with fresh basil adds the most delicious Italian flavor. Lemon and basil are delicious together! You can also use basil simple syrup here instead of the basil and the agave nectar.
Garnishes
There are so many ways you can garnish this cocktail. I used fresh basil, lemon slices and a homemade Italian salt made with sea salt and a pinch of Italian seasoning. Here are some more ideas:
- fresh thyme
- fresh basil
- lime slices
- lemon slices
- margarita salt, for the rim
- margarita sugar, for the rim
Substitutions & variations
Feel free to go classic with this recipe and add in some amaretto liqueur in place of the limoncello.
This cocktail is most often made with lime juice, but you can use lemon juice if you want a stronger lemon flavor. Feel free to swap the lemon slices for lime slices too.
You can sweeten this classic cocktail with simple syrup instead of agave nectar if you prefer. Some flavored simple syrup could be fun too!
Make this a sparkling cocktail recipe by topping it with some prosecco or club soda! Or save a bit of time and make this margarita with sour mix instead.
How to Make an Italian Margarita
Follow these simple step by step instructions to make this amazing cocktail:
In a small bowl, combine sea salt and Italian seasoning. Then pour some of the mixture onto a plate or shallow bowl.
Rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and then roll the margarita glass in the salt to coat the rim. Add ice to the glasses and set it to the side.
Grab your cocktail shaker and fill it with ice, tequila, limoncello, lime juice, agave nectar, triple sec and fresh basil.
Shake well to combine. While shaking helps to chill all the ingredients as it mixes them, it matters especially here because we need the friction from the ice to help release the essential oils in the basil leaves.
Strain into the previously prepared glasses and garnish with more fresh basil and some lemon or lime slices.
make it a mocktail
Want to make it non-alcoholic? Here’s what to substitute:
- Simply swap the tequila 1:1 for a non-alcoholic spirit. I like Ritual tequila alternative and Seedlip Grove 42.
- Substitute lemonade for the limoncello.
- Omit the triple sec entirely. You can also use a splash of fresh orange juice or substitute a non-alcoholic orange liqueur such as Lyre’s Orange Sec.
Tips & tricks
With these few simple tips, you can have the best success with this easy and tasty recipe:
- Always use fresh lime juice for the best flavor! It will taste much better than bottled lime juice.
- Be sure you shake the cocktail well to evenly incorporate all of the ingredients and ensure that the drink is chilled.
- For the best results, choose a high quality tequila. A good blanco tequila would fit well with this flavor profile.
Food pairings
This yummy margarita would pair wonderfully with some fresh homemade pizza made on fluffy homemade pizza crust. It’s great with appetizers like pizza dip and pizza pinwheels too.
These open faced margherita sandwiches would be an elegant pairing. Some lemon garlic shrimp would be super tasty as well.
For quick bites during cocktail hour, these stuffed olives and caprese skewers would be perfect.
FAQ
This cocktail is a fun, Italian twist on the more widely known classic margarita. It is most often made with amaretto and lime juice, but you can make another version with limoncello for an extra citrusy twist!
Yup! Just multiply the ingredients for however many servings you want, mix it up in a pitcher, and then add ice or chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Use a basil simple syrup instead of agave nectar to make a bigger batch.
More Margarita Recipes
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Italian Margarita
ingredients
Italian Margarita
- 1 ½ ounce tequila
- 1 ounce limoncello
- 1 ounce lime juice
- ¾ ounces agave nectar
- ¼ ounce triple sec
- 5-6 leaves fresh basil plus more for garnish
- 1-2 slices lemon or lime, for garnish
- 2 tbsp sea salt for rim
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning optional, for the rim
instructions
- In a small bowl, combine sea salt and Italian seasoning until well-distributed.
- Pour some Italian salt on a plate. Rub a lime wedge around the edge of a glass. Roll the rim of a margarita glass in the salt to coat the rim. Add ice to the glasses and set aside.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add tequila, limoncello, lime juice, agave nectar, triple sec and fresh basil. Shake well.
- Strain into the prepared glasses. Garnish with fresh basil and lemon slices.
notes
- Always use fresh lime juice for the best flavor! It will taste much better than bottled lime juice.
- Be sure to shake the cocktail well to evenly incorporate all of the ingredients, get all the essential oils out of the basil and also ensure that the drink is properly chilled.
- For the best results, choose a high-quality tequila.
- Simply swap the tequila 1:1 for a non-alcoholic spirit. I like Ritual tequila alternative and Seedlip Grove 42.
- Substitute lemonade for the limoncello.
- Omit the triple sec entirely. You can also use a splash of fresh orange juice or substitute a non-alcoholic orange liqueur such as Lyre’s Orange Sec.
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