This summer cocktail is a huge WOW! Plump blueberries and juicy pineapple combine in a luscious infused tequila laced margarita. Um. Wow. Just wow. The key to this little sip of sunshine is the infused tequila. I have infused vodka lots of times with great success and if I am totally honest (which I always try to be) there were some huge failures. Please don’t even ask about the candy corn infused vodka I tried last halloween. One word. Disaster. Happily I am back on the right track with this first try at infused tequila and I’m thrilled with how well it turned out. Blueberry Pineapple Margarita, Olé!
First things first. The blueberry and pineapple infused tequila. Place blueberries and pineapple (cut into chunks) in a clean glass jar. Pour tequila over the top. Secure the lid. Place in a cool dark place for 48 hours or so and there it is! Magic. You can strain through a coffee filter into a clean jar and it is ready to use but remember to keep the blueberries to garnish the margarita.
Now for the main event. The luscious blueberry pineapple margarita. Years ago (don’t even remember where) I learned that the secret to fantastic margaritas is to use frozen limeade concentrate. I was skeptical but tried it anyway and wow did it taste great. Since then “my” secret for flavorful margaritas is to use frozen lemonade and limeade concentrate in the mix. I added the lemonade on a whim and it really rounded out the flavor. Since the concentrates are so sweet no other sweetener is needed. The flavors are bright and fresh and it makes margaritas super easy to pull together. Like most margaritas there are two ways to go in preparing these. Either you’ll serve them on the rocks or frozen (blended). I decided to do the on the rocks version this time around. It is a straightforward process (shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and pour into a glass) with delicious results. Pour into a frosty glass rimmed with crunchy sugar, garnish with a few marinated blueberries and you are ready for a spectacular evening.
Here is an important tidbit. Any fruit which has been used to infuse a spirit will be extra potent as it will absorb the alcohol. I was reminded of this when photographing the yummy cocktail above. I wasn’t even thinking and popped a blueberry in my mouth. Wowza. So if you select to eat the fruit, take care, it will pack a tequila punch and a half!
- Fresh Pineapple cut into chunks
- Fresh Blueberries
- 1-2 cups tequila
- ⅛ cup Grand Marnier (or other orange liquor)
- ¼ cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- ¼ cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
- ¼ cup water
- Ice
- Sugar to rim glasses
- Place blueberries and pineapple chucks in a clean jar (with lid)
- Pour tequila over to cover. Seal jar. Place in cool dark place for 48 hours
- To prepare margarita classes dip the rim in water and then dip into granulated sugar on a plate to coat the rim. Fill the glass with ice.
- For margaritas on the rocks put ½ cup infused tequila into a cocktail shaker
- Add Grand Marnier, lemonade and limeade concentrates, water and ice
- Shake until well mixed and very cold
- Strain into margarita glasses and serve