Virgin Margarita
Lime, orange, agave and a salted rim, shaken and served over ice. A Margarita without the tequila that still tastes like one, because the rest of the drink was always doing most of the work.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Run a lime wedge round half the rim of a rocks glass and dip it in kosher salt. Fill the glass with ice.
Add the lime juice, orange juice and agave syrup to a shaker, fill with ice, and shake hard for 10 seconds.
Strain over the fresh ice and top with soda water.
Stir once and garnish with a lime wheel.
A thoughtful finish
- The salt rim is not decoration here — without the tequila's bite, salt is what gives the drink an edge. Do not skip it.
- Fresh orange juice adds body and softens the lime; bottled juice makes it taste like a soft drink.
- A non-alcoholic agave spirit in place of the soda gives the closest thing to the real texture, if you have one.
Common mistakes
- Sour mix. It is the reason most virgin Margaritas taste like candy.
- Too much agave. Without alcohol to balance it, the drink tips sweet fast; half an ounce is plenty.
- Serving it warm or under-iced. A Margarita of any kind is a cold drink.
A few good questions.
Does it taste like a Margarita?
Close. Lime, salt and a little orange are most of what a Margarita tastes like; what is missing is the tequila's heat and pepper, which an agave spirit alternative can partly replace.
Can I make it frozen?
Yes — blend the lime, orange and agave with a cup of ice and skip the soda.
Is it good for children?
It is a sour, salted lime drink; some children love it and most find it too sharp. For a sweeter version add more orange juice.
What non-alcoholic spirit works?
Any agave-style alcohol-free spirit. Use an ounce and a half in place of the soda, and add a splash of soda for lift.
Variations
- Margarita — The original.
- Virgin Paloma — Grapefruit and lime over ice.
- Virgin Mojito — Lime, mint and soda.
- Spicy Margarita — With jalapeño — the chilli works without alcohol too.
Where it comes from
c. 2000s · United States
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Alcohol-free versions of the Margarita have been on restaurant menus for decades, usually as the bar’s sour mix over ice with a salt rim, which is why they have a poor reputation. The version worth making dates from the 2010s and the rise of serious alcohol-free drinks: fresh lime, fresh orange, agave syrup and soda, with the salt rim doing what it always did. Some bars add a non-alcoholic agave spirit; most do not need to. There is no inventor, only a gradual realisation that a Margarita is a lime drink with tequila in it rather than the other way round.
Sources
- Julia Bainbridge, Good Drinks, 2020 (book)
- Derek Brown, Mindful Mixology, 2022 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Virgin Margarita, 2018 (reference)
A little character in every sip.
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