Skip to content
The Mocktail Guide Add a Venue
ClassicCitrusSalted rim

Virgin Margarita

Lime, orange and salt, built so it tastes sharp and structured rather than like limeade.

Virgin Margarita — a non-alcoholic drink served in a glass
Photo by Thales · CC BY 2.0 · via Openverse
Prep
5 min
Serves
1
Glass
Rocks
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • 0.5 oz agave syrup
  • 1 oz cold water or soda water
  • Pinch of salt, plus flaky salt for the rim
  • Lime wheel, to garnish

Method

  1. 1Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip it in flaky salt. Salt only half the rim so you can choose per sip.
  2. 2Add the lime juice, orange juice, agave, water and the pinch of salt to a shaker with ice.
  3. 3Shake hard for 12 seconds.
  4. 4Strain over fresh ice into the prepared glass and garnish with a lime wheel.

Notes

  • The pinch of salt in the drink itself — not just the rim — is what makes this taste like a margarita rather than sweet lime juice.
  • Fresh lime only. Bottled lime juice is the reason most virgin margaritas disappoint.
  • For a smoky version, add a quarter ounce of strong lapsang souchong tea, brewed and cooled.

Common questions

How do you make a margarita without tequila?

Build it around lime, orange and salt, which carry most of the flavour anyway. Fresh lime juice, a little orange, agave to balance, and a pinch of salt in the drink — not just on the rim — gets you most of the way there.

Make one of these next

  • Virgin Cosmopolitan

    Cranberry, lime and orange, shaken hard and served up. Looks the part and tastes sharp rather than sweet.

  • Virgin Daiquiri

    Lime and sugar in balance. The simplest sour there is, and a good test of whether your lime is fresh.

  • Virgin Mai Tai

    Almond, lime and orange over crushed ice. Tiki's best drink, and the almond is what people actually taste.

A new recipe each month

Plus new venues and a Dry January plan when it comes round.