Certain cocktails simply can’t be made into mocktails – the martini, for example, or the Manhattan. They rely too heavily (in these cases solely) on alcohol for taste and make-up. There are other cocktails that lend themselves to virgin versions, those with some sort of mixer or other liquid accoutrements. The Virgin Mary is a great example of this, and in this post I hope to show you that a margarita can also be one of these, even if there is no tequila or cointreau in it.
Fresh lime and lemon juice lends it the requisite tartness and flavor, while a secret ingredient gives it a spicy tang. For me, a margarita has always been about the salt rim anyway – once that is in place you may not even notice the lack of liquor.
I found the following virgin margarita recipe online, and tweaked it a bit. The secret ingredient is pickle juice, though I used the juice from some pickled jalapeños instead, because I enjoy a little kick to my margaritas.
VIRGIN MARGARITA
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. agave syrup (or simple syrup)
- 1/8 tsp. pickle juice or jalapeño juice
- 3 oz. lime seltzer or tonic
Shake up all ingredients except seltzer in a shaker with ice, pour over more ice into a margarita glass rimmed with salt and lime, then top with the seltzer or tonic. It’s amazing what that secret ingredient can do to trick the tastebuds.
