Virgin margarita
Lime, orange and agave over ice with a salted rim. Sharp, bright and nothing like a slushy.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Strength
- Alcohol-free
How to make a virgin margarita
- Salt the rim. Rub a lime wedge round half the rim of a short glass. Dip it in a saucer of flaky salt, then fill the glass with ice.
- Shake. Put the lime juice, orange juice and agave syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds, until the tin is very cold.
- Strain and top. Strain over the fresh ice and top with a splash of soda. Stir once.
- Taste. It should be sour first, then softly sweet. Add a teaspoon of agave if it bites too hard.
- Glass
- Rocks glassNo rocks glass? Any short tumbler.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- Lime wheel and a salted rimOr: A lime wedge, no salt.
What you need to make a virgin margarita
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- Agave syrupDissolves instantly in cold drinks, so there is no need to make a syrup.Find it on Amazon
- Flaky sea saltLarger flakes stay on the rim and taste cleaner than table salt.Find it on Amazon
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The virgin margarita story
A margarita is tequila, lime and orange liqueur with a salted rim. Take the tequila and liqueur out and you are left with the part that made it work: sour lime, a little sweetness and salt on the lip.
Orange juice stands in for the liqueur, agave syrup for the sweetness, and a splash of soda gives it length. Use plenty of fresh lime and go easy on the sweet, so it stays sharp.
Virgin margarita: your questions answered
What is in a virgin margarita?
A virgin margarita is made with 30 ml fresh lime juice, 40 ml orange juice, 15 ml agave syrup and soda water to top. Garnish: lime wheel and a salted rim.
Is a virgin margarita shaken or stirred?
A virgin margarita is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps mix the juice in properly, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
Is this virgin margarita alcohol-free?
Yes. This virgin margarita is made without any alcoholic ingredients, so it suits drivers and anyone taking a night off.
What glass do you serve a virgin margarita in?
Serve a virgin margarita in a rocks glass over ice. No rocks glass? Any short tumbler.
