Virgin Margarita
Triple sec, fresh lime, agave syrup, and a salt rim — the alcohol-free Margarita, the agave sweetener sharing the vegetal character of the spirit it replaces.
- 2 ozfresh lime juice(freshly squeezed)
- 1 ozfresh orange juice(freshly squeezed)
- 1 ozagave nectar(diluted 1:1)
- 1 ozsparkling water
- lime wheel and salt rimgarnish
- 1Rim a margarita glass with salt if desired.
- 2Add lime juice and orange juice and agave to a shaker with ice.
- 3Shake well for 10 seconds.
- 4Strain into the prepared glass with ice.
- 5Top with a splash of sparkling water.
- 6Garnish with a lime wheel.
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The Virgin Margarita removes the tequila from Mexico's most internationally recognized cocktail — the Margarita, whose first documented appearance in print was in Esquire magazine in December 1953 — while maintaining the essential triple-sec, lime, and agave sweetness that defines the original's flavor. The non-alcoholic version often uses additional agave syrup to replace the tequila's contribution, since agave spirit and agave sweetener share a vegetal, slightly earthy flavor compound that helps the Virgin Margarita taste closer to the original than most spirit-free adaptations. The salt rim is preserved, and many Virgin Margarita recipes add muddled fresh herbs or jalapeño to compensate for the complexity that tequila's agave backbone provides, creating a genuinely interesting mocktail rather than simply diluted citrus.
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