This passion fruit margarita puts an aromatically fruity twist on the classic cocktail. Easy to make, using fresh fruit, it's perfect served over ice on a warm day.

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If you're a regular here, you might have realized that margaritas are definitely a favorite. Or at least maybe I should say, it's a cocktail I like to play around with.

The classic combination of tequila, triple sec, lime and a little sweetness works so well with the addition of various fruits. Each adds their own unique character. My mango margarita is smooth and tropical while my watermelon margarita is refreshing and with a little chili kick.

passion fruit margarita with plenty ice and lime garnish

The origin of the margarita

For such a popular drink, and one that's relatively recent as well, surprisingly the history is unclear. No one really knows, though according to this National Geographic article, one drink historian thinks it is likely a tequila riff on a cocktail known as the Daisy which mixed alcohol, citrus and grenadine over shaved ice.

So rather than many assumptions it is named after a person called Margarita, it's instead that "margarita" is the Spanish for "daisy". It's also arguable a type od sour cocktail, combining spirit, sweetener and citrus.

Whatever the exact origins, it's a drink known and loved the world over, with many variations. This passion fruit version has its own special style too. It's aromatic but also refreshing and has that taste of the tropics.

Adding passion fruit

Passion fruit (or passionfruit, as it's also written) is a vine plant originally from Brazil. The name come from the Anglified name for the group of plants, passion flower, which has a number of varieties.

These days it is cultivated for the fruit in many tropical and subtropical climates, including across South America and Australia. In Spanish it is called maracuya (as in another delicious passion fruit cocktail, the maracuya sour, a variation on a pisco sour). You may see juice with this name in the Latin American section of supermarkets.

Just as I would always recommend fresh lime juice, I similarly highly recommend fresh passion fruit for this as well. Simply halve the fruit, scoop out the pulp and add to the cocktail shaker with the other ingredients. The pulp will break down as you shake the drink.

Can you use passion fruit juice or frozen pulp?

You could in theory make this drink with ready-prepared passion fruit juice, but it often uses concentrate and water and is sweetened. I don't find the flavor anywhere near as good and you would need to adjust sweetness.

Frozen passion fruit pulp is a much better option which you can either defrost to use, or blend in the frozen chunks for a frozen margarita. But as mentioned, I feel fresh pulp is the best option as it adds that extra brightness and punchy flavor.

After you strain the drink, you will have kept back all the seeds. If you don't want seeds in the drink, just discard them. I quite like a few on top to add a little interest to the drink and some little crunchy bites.

glass of passion fruit margarita from overhead

Does it matter what tequila you use?

To a point, given you are adding a number of other ingredients, you don't need to go overboard on selecting a special tequila for this. However having said that, you probably don't want to go for the cheapest you can find, either.

Generally speaking, a blanco (silver) tequila is the most popular choice for making margaritas. It's fresh, crisp and lets the other flavors come through. However for this, I also like the balance of crisp and smooth of a resposado (slightly aged). Alternatively, add a bit more complexity with a mezcal which I also really enjoy.

Making ahead and batching

If you'd like to make this cocktail ahead of time, you can mix everything up then strain and chill the drink in the fridge for a few hours until needed. You can do this for both one drink and if you are making a larger quantity - simple multiply up everything for the number of drinks you want to make.

Don't leave the drink sitting with ice in it as the ice will melt and dilute. Instead, just add the ice to the glasses as you serve. If you like, you can rim the glass with salt (or tajin for a touch of spice), though personally, for this particular margarita, I prefer to leave it as it is so you can fully enjoy the aromatic passion fruit flavor. Just a lime wedge as garnish is enough.

passion fruit margarita with cut passionfruit to side

This passion fruit margarita is so easy to make, with wonderful fruity flavors. It's refreshing, gently aromatic and perfect to sip on in the sunshine. Or let the drink transport you there.

Looking for more easy, refreshing cocktails? Try these:

Pimm's mojito
Pineapple mimosa
Cava sangria
Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

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5 from 4 votes