5 reasons to love this virgin margarita recipe
- It’s the most authentic tasting margarita you can get – without any alcohol.
- Make a single drink or a whole pitcher, the recipe has instructions and measurements for both.
- This margarita mocktail is perfect for when you want a fancy drink or are craving a margarita but don’t want the alcohol.
- Serve it on the rocks with a salt rim or blend it up in the blender – your choice!
- You need only 3 ingredients (zero-proof tequila, lime juice and homemade triple sec).
Related ->> Make this Fresh Strawberry Mocktail (Strawberry Smash!)
How to make a virgin margarita (step-by-step)
Margarita mocktail recipe tips
- Fresh squeezed lime juice is essential to make an authentic tasting virgin margarita. You need the tart, sour of the lime to balance out the rest of the drink.
- A salt rim is a must (in my humble opinion). A simple kosher salt rim will do, you want a large grain, flaky salt. Avoid regular fine-grained table salt.
- If you have a cocktail shaker, take things up a notch and make the drink in a shaker instead of a glass. See the recipe notes below for detailed instructions.
Recipe variations
Blend it – Make a frozen virgin margarita by pouring the ingredients over ice and blending. Use one cup of ice for a single drink, about 6-8 cups for a pitcher (just fill up the blender).
Make it fruity – Muddle a strawberry or two (or other fresh fruit) and mix them in with the margarita to add a fruity element.
Add a topper – If you want a little fizz, pour in a splash of club soda, sparkling water or tonic at the end before serving.
Spice it up – Muddle a couple of jalapeño pepper slices and mix them in with the margarita. You can also mix in a little chili powder with the salt for the salted rim.
The syrup – If you don’t want to make the homemade triple sec, I recommend substituting it with 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup plus a splash of orange juice. Or you can substitute regular simple syrup if you have that on hand.
Zero-proof tequila options for a non-alcoholic margarita
There are several options available to use in this recipe. We used Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative in this recipe and it tasted great.
Some other options are:
- Spiritless Jalisco 55 Non-Alcoholic Tequila
- Lyre’s Agave Blanco Spirit
- Monday Zero-Alcohol Mezcal
- Cleanco Clean T Tequila Alternative
Authentic Tasting Virgin Margarita (With Zero-Proof Tequila)
Ingredients
For a single drink:
- 1/4 cup zero proof tequila, (see post above for some options)
- 1/4 cup lime juice, (fresh squeezed is best)
- 1/4 cup homemade triple sec, (or simple syrup)
- ice, (to fill the glass)
- kosher or margarita salt, (optional, for a salted rim)
- lime wedges, (optional, for garnish)
For a pitcher (6-8 servings)
- 1.5 cups zero proof tequila
- 1.5 cups lime juice
- 1.5 cups homemade triple sec
- ice
- kosher or margarita salt, (optional, for a salted rim)
- lime wedges, (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
For a single drink:
- For a salted rim: Using a lime wedge, run the lime around the edge of the rim of a glass. Place some salt on a plate. Dip the rim of the glass in the salt.
- Fill the glass with ice. Pour in the zero-proof tequila, lime juice and homemade triple sec. Give the mixture a quick stir.
- Garnish with a lime wedge if desired. Serve and enjoy.
For a pitcher:
- Fill a pitcher 3/4 full with ice. Larger ice is better, it won't melt as quickly.
- Pour in the zero-proof tequila, lime juice and homemade triple sec. Give the pitcher a good stir with a spoon to mix.
- Salt the rims of glasses if desired (see step 1 above). Fill the glasses with ice and pour the margarita mixture into the glasses. Garnish glass with a lime wedge if desired for serving.
Notes
