Cadillac Margarita Recipe

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This Cadillac Margarita Recipe will surely give you an enjoyable and unforgettable sipping experience! If you think a regular margarita is already delicious, wait until you taste what is hands down the best margarita on the planet. This premium margarita’s golden color and richness is something you’ll enjoy. It might just become your go-to drink for parties and special occasions.

Two glasses of golden Cadillac Margaritas with with lime wedges as garnish. — Make this Cadillac Margarita recipe at home!

Why You’ll Love Premium Margarita Recipe

Cadillac Margaritas are an absolute treat for a margarita fan.

Made with top-shelf ingredients, this margarita is upgraded not only in flavor but also in price. It’s a bit of a splurge, but you deserve this awesome experience, especially after a long, hard day. Or to celebrate something. I’ve already decided it’s my cocktail of choice for my birthday.

As the Cadillac of margaritas, you know it’s made with the highest quality in mind. Given just how delicious this margarita is, you might be surprised that it’s easy to make at home, too.

We used our recipe to make a classic margarita, then added a float of Grand Marnier. And let me tell you, adding this one ingredient just changes the whole margarita game!

This sophisticated spin on the beloved tequila cocktail is worth serving for any occasion that calls for a marg. Whether for a night out with friends, happy hour, holidays, or celebrations, sipping a Cadillac margarita will make the event extra special. It’s actually my new favorite special occasion margarita!

The float of Grand Marnier gives the drink richness in flavor and makes it feel more decadent. DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

Premium or Top Shelf Tequila
Cointreau
Fresh Lime Juice
Grand Marnier

For tequila, we used Clase Azul Tequila Plata. This tequila blanco claims to capture the fresh flavor and nuance of the agave, with an aroma that calls to mind the smell of oranges, spearmint, and lime leaves. A bottle costs upwards of $150, which is crazy expensive, but makes sense for this margarita recipe.

You can also use El Tesoro Blanco Tequila, or a premium reposado tequila. Essentially you want to use the best tequila you have around.

We used Cointreau as the orange liqueur, one of our go-to ingredients for making margs. Its sweet, slightly bitter orange taste balances the flavors of a margarita.

As always, we love using fresh lime juice for our cocktail recipes. Because of the cost of the ingredients you are using for this, I don’t like that you should fall back on bottle juice. Usually, if you are in a bind, that works for a quick swap. But in this Cadillac margarita recipe, fresh lime juice is a MUST!

And, of course, the secret ingredient for making a Cadillac margarita: Grand Marnier. This orange-flavored liqueur blends cognac with bitter oranges, giving it a powerful and complex flavor and aroma. Its caramel notes pair perfectly with the sweet orange flavor.

Side note: Adding the Grand Marnier makes the classic margarita more boozy, so be careful.

How to Make the Best Cadillac Margarita Recipe

Be sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card for the complete recipe.

Rim the Margarita Glass

Rub a lime wedge along the rim of a margarita glass to moisten it. Next, dip it in some kosher salt on a plate (we like using Jose Cuervo margarita salt because it already has a salting plate). To make sure most of the rim is covered well, rotate it on the plate.

A woman's hand pouring some Clase Azul tequila into a jigger.

Step 1

Add high-quality tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Step 2

Shake well.

A woman's hand pouring cadillac margarita over a margarita glass with ice cubes in it.

Step 3

Strain over fresh ice in a margarita glass with the salted rim.

A woman pouring some Grand Marnier over the back of a bar spoon on top of a margarita in a glass.

Step 4

Float the Grand Marnier by carefully pouring it onto the top of the drink over an inverted bar spoon. This is our preferred method of adding a shot of Grand Marnier to the margarita, but you can also pour it right on top if you want. Especially since it sinks to the bottom anyway.

If you want to measure it out, you will add about 1/2 – 1 ounce of Grand Marnier to each drink.

A Cadillac margarita in a glass with a woman holding skewered lime wedges on a stick.

Step 5

Garnish with lime wedges, and put a bit of edible gold leaf. I mean, something of this caliber deserves a fancy little garnish, right?

Serve and enjoy!

Cadillac Margarita vs. Regular Margarita: What’s the Difference?

Regular margaritas are only made with 3 ingredients: tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur. On the other hand, Cadillac margaritas need the best ingredients, such as high-quality tequilas (the best you can afford) and a Grand Marnier float. That’s why a Cadillac margarita is often called an upgraded version of the classic margarita.

Tips

When pouring the drink into the margarita glass, make sure that the liquid doesn’t slosh too much and touch the salted rim. This way, the salt won’t accidentally get washed into the cocktail before you drink it.
When serving guests, instead of pouring the Grand Marnier yourself, just serve it on the side. This will give your guests the unique experience of pouring the orange liquor into the drink themselves and watching it turn gold.
As it sinks to the bottom, you may want to give your drink a little stir. We learned this the hard way as the straws were essentially only getting the Grand Marnier for the first few sips. Yikes. But yum.

Variations to Try

MAKE IT SWEETER: If you love a sweeter drink, adding a touch of agave syrup or simple syrup to the cocktail can do the trick. Use whichever you prefer.
MAKE A SWEET AND SALTY RIM: Instead of using a lime wedge, use agave nectar to moisten the rim of the margarita glass before dipping it in salt.
USE A SUGAR RIM: Try serving this drink in glasses garnished with a sugar rim with basil and see the difference!
SKIP THE ORANGE LIQUEUR: You can use 1 ounce of Grand Marnier and skip the orange liqueur altogether. I think this makes the drink too rich, but if you like sweeter drinks, like Suzy, this might be a great option for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called a Cadillac margarita?

Combining premium ingredients like top-shelf tequila with Grand Marnier makes this drink more luxurious and opulent than a regular margarita. It’s the most lavish of margaritas around! Since the Cadillac was considered the epitome of class, the best of the best, it’s called a Cadillac margarita to convey prestige.

Is margarita a ladies’ drink?

Contrary to what many people think, a margarita or cocktail is not just for the ladies. Anyone of age can enjoy this delicious and refreshing drink! While it’s sweet, it has a complex caramel-like tone that is rich and delicious.

How much does Grand Marnier cost?

A small bottle like we have shown in our ingredient photo is about $21 dollars. The larger bottles go up in price.

Substitutions

I really don’t think there is a good substitution for Grand Marnier. It has such a distinct flavor that you just can’t get for anything else we’ve tried. Triple Sec and Cointreau lack the caramel notes. A splash of cognac might be a nice touch but it would lack the orange notes we love.

But if you don’t want to buy a large bottle (but trust me, you will crave Cadillac Margaritas!), you can pick up the mini-bar-sized bottles from Total Wine for about $6.

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