Moonshine Margarita Recipes from the Tennessee Whiskey Trail

Looking for ways to make a kickin' margarita at home? Ditch the store bought mix (and the tequila!) and take your Taco Tuesday to the next level with these Moonshine Margarita recipes!

Jenny Feleciano/Uncharted Traveling

Inspired by the moonshine makers of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail, I tried out some of my favorite Margarita recipes with moonshine instead of Tequila. After much taste-testing (yes, the struggle is real), I hit the jackpot with these six recipes. Whether you like your margarita sweet, sour, or a little bit of both, you can’t go wrong here. So let’s get down to business. Here are six easy Margarita recipes you can make with Tennessee Moonshine.

1. Classic Moonshine Margarita

Natural ingredients and ridiculously easy to make. I like to make this with Bootlegger Distillery's Sweetshine Moonshine, a family recipe that's been handed down straight from grandma! Like music to your taste buds, this Tennessee spin on a classic margarita will have you hearing mariachi bands in your head!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Tennessee Moonshine
• 1 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice (about 1 - 2 medium to large limes)
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice (about 1/2 of a medium to large lemon)
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• Lime wedge
• Kosher Salt or Sea Salt (optional)

​Directions:

Use a piece of the cut lime to wet the rim of your glass. Pour a thin layer of salt onto a small plate and press the rim of the glass onto the plate. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake a few times. Pour over ice and garnish with a slice of lime.

2. Raspberry Lemonade Margarita

It’s a Moonshine Margarita with a French twist. Lemonade Moonshine from Sugarland's Distillery combined with raspberry liqueur gives this drink the perfect combination of sweet and sour, and the Chambord floater makes it look pretty too!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Lemonade Moonshine
• 1 1/2 oz Lime Juice (about 1 - 2 medium to large limes)
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup (optional)
• 1/2 oz Chambord
• Lime wedges for garnish

Directions:

Fill glass half full with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine simple syrup, lime juice, and moonshine and shake. Pour contents of shaker into glass over ice. Top with Chambord floater by slowly pouring it in a circular motion on top of the drink.

3. Mango Moonshine Margarita

Inspired by Tennessee Legend Distillery's Fiery Mango Moonshine, a drink of this margarita will tease you with the sweet flavor of mango, then hit you with just enough heat to remind you that margarita drinking ain't for sissies. This sweet and spicy margarita is just what your next fiesta needs!

Ingredients for Margarita:

• 1 1/2 oz Fiery Mango Moonshine
• 1 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup (optional)
• Splash of seltzer water

Ingredients for Chili Lime Salt:

• 1 Tablespoon sea salt
• 1 Teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
• Zest of 1 Lime
• 1/2 Teaspoon sugar (optional)

Directions:

Fill glass half full with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine simple syrup, lime juice, and moonshine and shake. Pour contents of shaker into glass over ice. Top with a splash of seltzer water if you need to tone down the flavors just a bit. To really kick this up a notch, whip up a batch of chili lime salt and rim your glass with it before pouring the drink in. It's easy to make, just combine sea salt, chipotle chili powder, lime zest, and sugar if you want a bit of a sweeter taste. Toss all this together, spread it out on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

4. Peachy Pomerita

If you want something really special, try this Peachy Pomerita, a combination of Peach Moonshine and a pomegranate margarita. It only has a few ingredients, but it’s big on flavor. Shaken, on the rocks, or frozen, the peach and pomegranate flavors in this drink create a light and refreshing margarita that will quickly become your favorite!

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Peach Moonshine
• 1 1/2 oz Lime Juice
• 1 1/2 oz Pomegranate Juice
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• Sugar for glass rim
• Moonshine Peaches from Ole Smoky Distillery

​Directions:

Rim glass with sugar. Put the crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Add ingredients and shake until your hand gets hold. Pour all contents of shaker into glass. Garnish with a lime wheel or a moonshine peach. To serve on the rocks, shake up just the drink ingredients and serve over cubed ice. For a frozen version, blend drink ingredients in a blender or Ninja with half to one cup of ice and a few moonshine peaches.

5. Coconut Moonshine Margarita

Looking for a margarita with a more tropical feel? Try this recipe using Coconut Moonshine from Old Forge Distillery. It’s delightfully refreshing, and surprisingly simple. Just take a sip and close your eyes.

Ingredients;

• 1 1/2 oz Coconut Moonshine
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz Lime Juice (about 1/2 medium to large lime)
• 1 oz Coconut Cream
• 1 oz Half & Half (Substitute with Coconut Milk if you like a strong coconut flavor)
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• Lime wedge (optional)

​Directions:

Add all drink ingredients to a cocktail shaker, and shake it like you mean it. Pour contents of shaker into glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

6. Blackberry Bramble Paloma

Technically a Paloma isn’t a margarita, but I feel it deserves to have a spot on any margarita list. The Paloma is a traditional Mexican cocktail that combines the tangy flavor of grapefruit with a classic margarita. For this variation, I like using a fruit flavored moonshine like Old Tennessee Distilling's Blackberry Bramble. Just a hint of sweetness with a little kick...just how a margarita should be.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Blackberry Moonshine
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup (optional)
• 4 oz Grapefruit Seltzer Water
• Lime wheel

​Directions:

Add moonshine, lime juice, and simple syrup to a glass and stir to combine. Fill the glass half full with ice. Top with grapefruit seltzer water and garnish with a lime wheel.

Happy moonshine margarita drinking!

Follow me for southern inspired travel ideas, and cocktail recipes inspired by the Tennesse Whiskey Trail!

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