Tropical Passionfruit Margarita 43 Recipe

Riffing on a margarita is as fun as it is easy, with so many flavors fitting neatly into the bright profile of the popular summer drink and accentuating the sharp taste of tequila. While a classic margarita is made up of lime, tequila, triple sec, and agave, there aren't many rules when it comes to crafting something totally new. Keeping tequila as a mainstay, you can swap lime with another fruit, agave with a different sweetener, and Cointreau with similarly citrusy liqueurs. Change all three, and you have a new drink altogether — but with all the familiarity of the margarita you know and love.

This tropical creamy cocktail riff on the classic, dreamed up by developer Michelle McGlinn, pairs tequila blanco with passionfruit juice, cream of coconut, and the uniquely warm and citrusy Licor 43. The liqueur is the key ingredient in rounding out the sweet, juicy flavors of passionfruit and coconut. Altogether botanical, spiced, and citrusy, Licor 43 adds a dimension that brings the fruity margarita from a boozy juice to a layered cocktail — not to mention, it pairs well with strong tequila. Next time you're craving a drink that brings you beachside, turn to this one, which has no shortage of tropical flavors.

Though some ingredients may be harder to find, the ingredient list for this cocktail is very short: You only need tequila, Licor 43, passionfruit juice, and cream of coconut. When sourcing coconut, be sure to seek out cream of coconut. Most notably made by Coco López and used for piña coladas, cream of coconut is both thicker and sweeter than coconut milk or coconut cream. You can use coconut milk or the similarly thick coconut cream, but plan to add a sweetener like agave or honey.

Add the Licor 43, tequila, cream of coconut, and passionfruit juice to a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake until cold and frothy, about 20 seconds.

Strain over ice into a glass.

Serve the margarita immediately, garnished with passionfruit, if desired.

Passionfruit juice differs from passionfruit puree or passionfruit pulp in that it is completely liquid, instead of being jammy or full of seeds. Often, passionfruit juice will also be sweetened slightly as well, since its main use is as a refreshing drink. This recipe is designed for the juice, which is sold in cans or bottles and should be easy to find at most grocery stores or markets near other tropical fruit varieties, like mango and papaya. You can easily swap for another tropical fruit juice like these, or use something more ubiquitous such as orange juice, pineapple juice, or lemonade.

Besides fruit juices, you can also look for fruit liqueurs to add an extra-boozy punch. If you're a fan of pornstar martinis, you may already have a bottle of passionfruit liqueur in your cabinet waiting to be used in a margarita like this one. If passionfruit is hard to find where you live, try a mango liqueur instead, which will offer a similar flavor. 

Licor 43 is a liqueur created in Spain that's made up of Mediterranean citrus and botanicals. Though the recipe is a closely guarded secret, Licor 43 can be described as soft and sweet, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and citrus. It's similar to triple sec with a deeper, warmer taste, and benefits from being swapped into a drink like a margarita. If you don't have Licor 43, simply use triple sec instead, and consider adding a dash of cinnamon to warm it up (flavor-wise, of course).

Licor 43 is known for being the main ingredient in carajillos, which are espresso-based cocktails made with either tequila or rum. You can also use Licor 43 in screwdrivers, where orange juice is a main ingredient and a perfect match for the citrusy liqueur. Licor 43 also folds seamlessly into other sours such as a whiskey sour or Pisco sour, where the citrus notes are a welcome addition to the base spirits of the drink.