Cranberry Pomegranate Margarita

For the Cranberry Pomegranate Syrup:
Combine cranberries, orange juice, pomegranate juice, water, sugar, and zest of one orange in a sauce pan that has a fitted lid. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Then cover sauce pan with the lid (stir occasionally, making sure it doesn’t boil over). Once the cranberries burst, bring the heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender (or allow to cool and carefully blend in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds). Pour syrup through a fine strainer into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

For the Cranberry Pomegranate Margarita:
Combine 3 ounces cranberry pomegranate syrup, 2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce triple sec, and 1 ounce lime juice in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker and stir or shake well. Fill a glass with crushed ice and pour the drink over the ice.

For the overachievers:
Prior to filling your glass, take two small shallow plates and pour a few ounces of water on one plate and cover the bottom of another plate in coarse sugar (sugar in the raw). Lightly moisten the edge of the glass by dipping the rim in the water filled plate and then “rim” the moistened glass edge in the coarse sugar. Pour in your ice and drink and look like a pro! Garnish with skewered cranberries!