Lingonberry Margaritas – When Sweden Goes South of the Border

Today, we are making lingonberry margaritas.  Why?  Because last weekend, Steve and I went to Lindsborg, KS to play and I had a lingonberry margarita with lunch at the Swedish Crown.  And I kinda fell in love.  Well, maybe I REALLY fell in love.  It was SOOOOOO yummy!  Which meant I had to research recipes and figure out how to make it at home.  And it was surprisingly easy!

I know I just posted a recipe for caipirinhas a couple of weeks ago.  That was only the second cocktail recipe I have posted in 2 years.  And here I am, so soon after, with another.  Trust me, this will not become a mixology blog.  I’m not good enough to keep creating unique cocktails.  But this one was definitely worth sharing and is now on my home cocktail rotation.

This lingonberry margarita has both the sour tang of lime along with the sweetness of a traditional margarita.  But what takes it over the top is that smoothly rounded burst of berry flavor that is left on the palate with every sip.  And people, it is PINK!  How pretty is that?  Well, pink or not, I have made it twice since we went to Lindsborg, and Steve thought it tasted amazingly good enough to drink it both times.  I don’t think the pink turned him off a bit.

With the weather getting hotter and hotter, and the 4th of July just a few days away, cookouts and BBQs will abound.  And what better way to enjoy the holidays than with a cold, refreshing bit of south of the border Scandinavian berry goodness that is this lingonberry margarita?  Not many, let me tell you.

let’s make a lingonberry margarita

Here’s a tip.  Make your simple syrup first and refrigerate it.

You can make it earlier that day, or several days in advance.  It will keep in the fridge for a month or more.  Simply pour one cup of sugar into one cup of water in a small sauce pan over low heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Do not get it too hot, and definitely, do not allow it to boil.  Just stir it over the low heat until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the heat.  Cool and then refrigerate.

Once your simple syrup is made, this drink is a quick snap.  It takes no time at all!

By the way, I like to buy limes in bulk and juice them all at once.  I strain the juice to remove the pulp and freeze them in ice cube trays.  Then I transfer the frozen cubes to a gallon Ziploc bag which I store in the freezer.  That way, I have fresh lime juice whenever I want.  Just pull some cubes out and allow them to defrost.

Prepare your glasses by rubbing a wedge of lime around the rim.

Then turn the rim upside down onto a plate of salt to create your crusted salt rim.  I used pink Himalayan salt because I thought it suited the aesthetic of the drink.  But you can use regular sea salt, if you want.

Then I poured all the ingredients into a drink mixer and top the mixer off with ice.

I placed the lid on securely and shook that baby for a good 30 seconds until I knew everything was well mixed.  The ice will turn your cocktail liquid a bit slushy, which is great for keeping it nice and cold.

I filled the prepared glasses with ice, being careful not to disrupt the salted rim.  Then I sifted the cocktail though a tea strainer into each prepared glass.  That helps get rid of the pulp from both the limes and the lingonberry, although it will allow some tiny lingonberry seeds through.

And this is what you get.  A perfectly beautiful pink concoction that will have you humming happily with each sip.

I said it before when I first tasted a lingonberry margarita at the Swedish Crown.  If this is not a traditional Swedish drink, it should become one.  I invite all my Swedish friends to make themselves some lingonberry margaritas and enjoy their summer fun.

Oh, and the rest of us, outside of Sweden, should be enjoying these too.  Just saying…

Lingonberry Margaritas - When Sweden Goes South of the Border

Lori

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Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Servings 2 Margaritas

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons lingonberry preserves
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 1/2 ounces orange liqueur
• 2 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 3 1/2 ounces silver tequila
• Lime wedge to prepare glass rim
• Salt for glass rim

Instructions

 

• Prepare the margarita glasses by running the wedge of lime around the rim.
• Then turn the glasses upside down onto a plate full of salt to create a salted rim.
• Set the prepared glasses aside.
• In a cocktail mixer, add all the margarita ingredients.
• Top the mixer with ice.
• Cover with the lid and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds until the contents are cold and thoroughly incorporated.
• Place a handful of ice in each prepared glass.
• Using a tea strainer, sift the cocktail into the glasses until both are full.
• Enjoy!

Notes

To prepare simple syrup, simply add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water and stir in a small sauce pan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Immediately remove from the heat, cool, and store in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to a month.