Margaritas are famous and beloved cocktails made with orange juice, lime, and tequila. You can make them by yourself, but you can also buy them ready-made from the store. 

There are ready-made mixes you can buy that don’t contain alcohol, but there are also those that do, so they are labeled as “ready to mix.” 

No matter how you make them, margaritas are always a great mood improver and excellent refreshment. Sweet and zingy, there is probably no one that has something bad to say about these colorful delicacies in a glass. 

They will instantly lift your spirits, but after a while, they can get you woozy and spoil your fun. Tequila isn’t a joke but mixed in a margarita; it is a little bit gentler. Still, a margarita is an alcoholic cocktail, and being that it is sweat, there are solid chances of you getting a bit overboard with it. 

So, how much alcohol is in a margarita? 

The alcohol content of a margarita can vary depending on the size of the cocktail, as well as the type of tequila you use. Therefore the average alcohol percentage for a margarita goes from 18% to 25% for regular margaritas and about 55% for a super-sized margarita. 

A margarita experience can be an unforgettable one for both the right and the wrong reasons. You can have unforgettable fun, but you can also be unforgettably sick.

The line here is very thin, and so much as half a glass can make the difference between an unforgettable experience you fondly remember and an unforgettable experience you cannot remember. 

To make the most of your margarita experience, in this article, I will explain how margaritas work, how much alcohol is in a margarita, and some other helpful info you will certainly use on your next margarita fiesta. 

Also check: 20 Best Tequilas For Margaritas

Can Margarita Get You Drunk?

Since a margarita has either from 18% to 25% alcohol content, on average, it can most certainly get you drunk. However, the degree of your drunkenness depends on your general tolerance to alcohol. 

A glass of margarita would probably leave you intact, but you may feel the second one if you aren’t that tolerant of alcohol. Also, the day you had plays a significant role here.

You will get drunk much sooner and from a far lesser amount of margaritas if you had a rough day and you are tired.

On the other hand, if you drink margaritas well-rested and on a full stomach, you may be amazed from how well you hold up. The general rule of thumb is that you need about three glasses of regular margaritas to get drunk. 

Still, there is another side to the coin. If you are having super-sized margaritas, which contain about 55% of alcohol, you won’t get to three glasses standing up. Chances are you will get drunk even before you drink the first glass. 

Margarita Alcohol Content

The margarita’s alcohol content depends on the size and the added ingredients. Even though a margarita is usually made with lime juice, orange juice, and tequila, it can often contain orange-flavored liqueurs that also contain alcohol, increasing the overall margarita alcohol content. 

A typical size of a margarita glass or a Coupette is 12 ounces. A 12 oz glass usually contains roughly 5 oz of alcohol, which is expressed in percentage is about 18%. The standard alcohol amount in a tequila is 40%. 

By drinking less tequila, the alcohol percentage of the tequila doesn’t decrease, but the alcohol percentage you consume is lower.

So 5 oz of alcohol, in this case, tequila, is still 40% of alcohol content, but you will be drinking 18% of alcohol content from the mix you are drinking. So, neat tequila has 40% of alcohol, but when mixed, you calculate the alcohol in the mix, not the tequila in itself. 

Therefore, it is safe to say that depending on the amount of tequila in the margarita, the margarita can have from 18% to 25% of alcohol content. This is for a regular-sized margarita glass. 

More: Daiquiri vs Margarita: What’s the Difference?

A 16-ounce of Margarita cocktail will make up 6 ounces of alcohol in the glass. This is about 20% of the alcohol in the cocktail overall. The five and 6-ounce glasses don’t differ that much, and the alcohol percentage varies in virtually the same range.

The bigger margaritas, for example, the 32 ouncers, are very large and subsequently contain a larger amount of alcohol. The alcohol content here is about 13 to 15 ounces, which brings the percentage to a much higher limit, about 55%. 

How Many Margaritas Does It Take To Get Drunk

Although it is rare, but a single regular glass of margarita can get you woozy. Still, when it comes to the amount of alcohol you need to consume to get drunk, there are other factors you need to consider. 

If you are tired or drinking on an empty stomach, a single glass of margarita can get you spinning, and two glasses will get you properly drunk. On the other hand, if you are well-rested and full, the glasses are probably what you need to get woozy. 

On average, two margarita glasses are what it takes to get woozy, and three glasses will start getting you drunk. Also, whether you are a male or a female plays a role in how quickly you will get drunk on margaritas. A man would need at least half a glass more than a woman would. 

If we are talking about a super-sized margarita, then you will probably feel your eyes sparkle while nearing the end of your glass, as it is pretty substantial. Even if the first super-sized margarita glass doesn’t get you drunk, the second one will definitely floor you.

Are Margaritas a Strong Drink?

The margarita cocktail sure wants to seem all nice and gentle, but it is one of the strongest cocktails. Anything made with tequila is expected to be strong, but if you add an orange liqueur to the equation, prepare for a wild ride. 

On average, a margarita contains from 18% to 25% of alcohol. However, this number can easily go higher, reaching up to 30% of alcohol content, and that is for the regular-sized margaritas. The super-sized margaritas contain about 55% of alcohol, which is no way to be underestimated. 

The margarita cocktail has a very deceitful façade. It seems harmless since it is brightly yellow colored and served in a yummy glass with sugar on the rim, inviting you to play as if you cannot lose. However, this fairy princess has a very dark side, so don’t tamper with it.  

How Does Margarita Make You Feel?

The way a margarita makes you feel is not very different from the way any alcohol would make you feel, provided that you enjoy drinking it. Since it looks so sweet and tastes so refreshing, it will undoubtedly be a pleasant experience for the eyes and the taste buds. 

It has the classic tequila effect, making you feel warm and cheerful, talkative, open, and more honest, as it lowers your inhibitions. It may also make you feel as if you are very attractive, like the most attractive person present. 

If you drink margaritas reasonably, you can ride them pretty well. Confident, open, and honest, you may really appear so to the rest of the people.

This happens because by lowering your inhibitions it boosts your confidence and therefore makes you feel more secure in yourself. 

However, if you don’t know how to drink margaritas, they will flip you upside down. In this case, you will feel physically ill and frightened, and the best thing you can do is find a place to sleep if off. 

How Long Does 1 Margarita Stay In Your System?

Processing alcohol is a hard task for the body to do. Alcohol isn’t food or liquid your body is designed to process in order to stay alive, but a foreign substance it doesn’t really need. So, to process the margarita, your body will need extra strength. 

Depending on your metabolism, your body starts processing one glass of margarita within an hour after you’ve had it, provided that you don’t drink alcohol in that hour. However, if you drink a few margaritas one after another and don’t wait for an hour between them, then your body will struggle to process the margaritas, causing it to slow down. 

So, on a margarita night, prepare to have the margaritas in your system for the night and expect them to be fully processed by the next morning. 

Margarita Vs Beer Alcohol Content

Beer is a small and fluffy puppy compared to a margarita. While the alcohol content in a margarita is in double digits, beer has a modest 4-5% of alcohol content. However, this doesn’t mean that beer can’t get you drunk, but you can drink significantly more beer standing than margaritas. 

For example, while drinking two large mugs of beer could make you tipsy, the same amount of margaritas will get you drunk. 

Does Sangria Or Margarita Have More Alcohol?

Sangria is the weaker of the two, with about 12 to 20% of alcohol, compared to the margarita ranging between 18 and 25% of alcohol content.