Big Batch Frozen Pink Cadillac Margarita
Frozen Pink Cadillac Margaritas are the best way to beat the heat and cool down your crowd! Big batch, make-ahead and ridiculously easy!
OH, HEY…This recipe appears as part of our Taco Bar Party menu. Check it out for all the make ahead recipes and prep checklist!
Big Batch Pink Cadillac Margarita Slush
Tell me…how many of your moms or grandmas made some kind of spiked frozen slush? If you’re of a certain generation, you totally know what I’m talking about!
Memories of my mom’s rum slush, a staple at the holidays, got me thinking about making a version of my own that would be perfect for our summer parties!
No blender required, but give yourself plenty of time. This is best made at least a day ahead, and that frees up lots of time to do other party prep.
What Ingredients You Need + Why
Before we get to what’s in this, let’s talk about why it’s called a ‘Cadillac’. A Cadillac margarita is simply one mixed with the best ingredients — top shelf liquors and fresh squeezed juice.
One might argue that this recipe is an utter abomination with the use of frozen juice concentrates. To that I say…oh well.
Also, I’m not trying to tell you to go out buy that $150 bottle of reposado tequila either. Just purchase the best quality you can afford or have access to. At the very least, your noggin will appreciate it the morning after. 😉
Okay…gather up these ingredients:
- Frozen limeade concentrate
- Frozen pink lemonade — it’s what makes it pink, after all.
- Limes — 6 or 7 should give you enough fresh juice. You’ll want a couple more to cut into wedges or wheels. You could also skip the squeezing and use a premium bottled lime juice like Santa Cruz Organic.
- Club soda + lemon-lime soda — what’s a classic slush without some bubbly. You can play with the ratios of these to adjust the sweetness to your personal preference.
- Coarse salt — I love Maldon for salting rims. If it’s particularly coarse, you can crumble it with your fingers to get a finer texture. Kosher salt is great, too!
- Tequila — I recommend a premium reposado tequila (often aged in oak barrels). You can find some great mid-price options out there.
- Orange liqueur — Grand Marnier is the go-to for Cadillac margaritas…buuuttt, there is a lot of sweet stuff happening here, so I opted for Cointreau (which is a little less sweet).
How To Make a Frozen Pink Cadillac Margarita for a Crowd
First off, you’ll need to find a large freezer safe container to mix up your slush. Then, clear enough space in your freezer to accept said container. (I use this 15.7 cup lidded bowl, and it comes in a two-pack!)
- Add the tequila, limeade, pink lemonade, lime juice, club soda + lemon-lime soda to your big bowl. Add 3 oz of the orange liqueur and stir to combine. Cover + freeze. Every few hours, give the whole thing a good stir to make sure it freezes evenly for super slushy goodness!
- For salted glass rims, pour coarse salt onto a plate or shallow bowl large enough to fit the opening of your glasses. Moisten the rim of each glass with a wedge of lime, then dip it into the salt.
- Scoop about one cup of the slush into each glass, then float a 1/2 ounce of orange liqueur on top. Garnish with a wedge or wheel of lime.
Variations on This Recipe
- No frozen pink lemonade? Use regular frozen lemonade instead. Swap out some of the lemon-lime soda for a red juice (cranberry, pomegranate, cherry) to tint it pink.
- For an alcohol-free version, use any number of zero-proof spirits available today, like Ritual. Instead of orange liqueur, simply use fresh-squeezed orange juice (something I love in my regular margaritas). Or, substitute ALL of the liquor for fresh-squeezed OJ.
- Don’t like tequila? Try this with vodka, rum, pisco…whatever tickles your fancy.
Storing Frozen Margarita Mix
If you have leftovers, transfer the slush to a smaller freezer-safe, lidded container — one just large enough to accept what’s left to eliminate extra air in the container. As added insurance against weird freezer burn, press a sheet of cling film against the surface of the mix before covering. Store in the freezer for up to a month.
Mix Things Up With These Other Cocktail Recipes!
- Plum + Lime Whiskey Smash
- Easy Apricot + Basil Sangria
- Hibiscus Tea Mimosas
- Winter Sunset on the Seine (a blood orange vodka cocktail)
- Hard Pineapple Lemonade (mocktail version, too!)
- Frozen Zombie Mocktail (or cocktail)
- Tropical Coconut Frosé
Big Batch Frozen Pink Cadillac Margaritas
Ingredients
- 12 ounce frozen limeade concentrate, partially thawed, undiluted
- 12 ounce frozen pink lemonade concentrate, partially thawed, undiluted
- ⅔ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (from about 6-7 limes), or premium bottled juice, like Santa Cruz Organic
- 3 cups club soda, see notes
- 1½ cups lemon-lime soda
- 1½ cups tequila, see notes
- ½ cup orange liqueur, divided, see notes
- lime wedges and/or slices, to garnish
- coarse salt, kosher or Maldon, for the rim
Instructions
- In a large freezer-safe bowl, combine limeade, pink lemonade, lime juice, club soda + lemon-lime soda. Mix in tequila and 3 oz of Cointreau, cover and freeze.
- Stir it every few hours so it freezes evenly. Ideally, allow it to freeze for at least 24 hours.
- If you like a salted rim: Pour some coarse salt onto a plate or shallow bowl large enough to fit the opening of your glass. Moisten the rim of a glass with lime juice/wedge. Dip the rim in salt.
- Upon serving, scoop 8 oz of the frozen mix into a glass and float 1/2 oz of Cointreau on top. Garnish with a slice or wedge of lime.
Notes
- You can adjust the ratio of club soda to lemon-lime soda depending on how sweet you like your margaritas.
- Because this is a ‘cadillac’ margarita, I recommend premium spirits like a Joven or reposado tequila, and an orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau. (Because this is already pretty sweet, I like Cointreau since it’s less so than Grand Marnier.)
Nutrition
