This Virgin Margarita recipe is made with fresh citrus juice, agave, and sparkling water. Perfectly balanced and sweet, this mocktail has all of the fun flavors you love from the classic party drink!
It’s hard to compete with the classic margarita. What’s not to love from a cocktail made with tart and sweet juices and tequila? In this recipe, I’ve pushed the tequila aside and created this equally delicious Virgin Margarita instead!
A margarita with no alcohol is made with fresh citrus juices, agave nectar, and topped with sparkling water. Served on the rocks, this virgin cocktail is perfect for sipping poolside, as a refreshing treat at a hot summer barbecue, or when you want to shake things up on taco Tuesday. It can even be made with more fun flavors or blended with ice if you want!
Double or triple the batch and bring this non-alcoholic margarita to potlucks, Cinco de Mayo celebrations, or parties. Next to a platter of my Homemade Tortilla Chips and Pineapple Salsa, you can’t go wrong!
Virgin margarita ingredients
- Lime juice – Because it isn’t a margarita without lime juice! The star of the show, freshly squeezed lime juice gives each sip of this mocktail bright and tart flavors that pair so well with a little sweetness and more citrus.
- Orange juice – A splash of orange juice helps tone down the tart lime and lemon juice, giving the drink a nice balance.
- Lemon juice – Just a smidge for brightness.
- Agave nectar – A little agave nectar or syrup, honey, or simple syrup won’t make the drink overly sweet. In fact, it needs a bit of sweetness to help round out all of the tart and zesty citrus flavors.
- Sparkling water – To give this mocktail some fun fizz without messing with the flavors. Feel free to use club soda if that’s what you prefer.
- Flaky salt and lime – For a salted rim.
How to make a non-alcoholic margarita
- Salt the rim: Run a lime wedge around the rim of a glass and dip it in a plate of salt. Fill it with ice.
- Shake it up: Add the citrus juices and agave nectar to a cocktail shaker. Shake or stir to combine.
- Pour and serve: Pour the virgin margarita into your prepared glass, top with sparkling water, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Customize the flavor
Play with it! Margarita’s are easy to customize and can be made with all sorts of fruit and flavors. Here’s what I suggest using:
- Strawberry – To make a virgin strawberry margarita on the rocks, blend 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries with the lime juice, orange juice, and agave. Pour in a glass with ice and enjoy!
- Mango – It isn’t summer without a fresh virgin mango margarita. To a cocktail shaker, add 1/2 cup of mango juice and the lime juice. Shake or stir, pour in a glass with ice, and top with sparkling water or tonic water for a little more flavor.
- Watermelon – Blend 1 1/2 cups of seedless watermelon with the lime juice and agave. Pour over ice and top with sparkling water. This watermelon margarita mocktail is great with a little tajin on top or on the rim!
- Frozen margarita – A slushy frozen margarita mocktail on a hot day is so refreshing. To serve it frozen, simply blend all of the juices, agave, and 1 or 2 cups of ice together (depending on how slushy you like it). Serve and enjoy!
Tips
Can I make this ahead of time? Of course! Stir all of the juices together with the agave and store in a sealed jar or airtight container in the fridge up to 1 day ahead of time. When it’s time to serve, give the mix one final stir and top each glass with sparkling water.
Can I make a big batch? You can double or triple this recipe if you’re serving a crowd. Just stir the batch together in a pitcher and don’t add the sparkling water until right before you serve the mocktails. Leave a plate of salt and lime wedges out in case your guests prefer to salt their rim.
More non-alcoholic drinks
Ingredients
- kosher salt or flaky margarita salt
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- ice cubes
- 1.5 ounces fresh lime juice (about 1 1/2 medium limes, juiced)
- 1 ounce fresh orange juice (about 1/2 medium orange, juiced)
- 0.5 ounces fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 medium lemon, juiced)
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar*
- unflavored sparkling water or club soda
Instructions
- Pour salt on a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of an 8-ounce glass and dip in salt. Fill the glass with ice.
- In a cocktail shaker or cup, add lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and agave nectar. Shake or stir to combine.
- Pour into prepared glass, top with sparkling water, and garnish with a lime wedge.
Isabel’s Tips:
- Don’t have agave nectar? You can use simple syrup or honey instead.
Nutrition Information
Just made your recipe. I could not find agave nectar so I made some honey simple syrup and used this instead. It is absolutely delicious and I will definitely make it again!!!!!
Pretty darn good! I am trying to drink less alcohol this 2023 and this is my first mock tail of the year. Excellent. Thank you!
THE BEST!!
you didn’t mentioned how much ml of soda can you please tell me?
Hello Aniket! The soda is to top off the drink, so its to your preference.
Well I haven’t made anything as of yet …… but I am looking forward to making something real soon. I just want to comment on how well you give such detailed information on your recipes. I love that!