The Virgin Classics
Virgin Margarita
A virgin margarita keeps the architecture of the original and simply removes the tequila: two full ounces of fresh lime juice supply the acid backbone, fresh orange juice stands in for the perfume of orange liqueur, and agave nectar — the same sweetener that defines a Tommy's margarita — rounds the edges without burying the tartness. The salted rim finishes the job, and it earns its place: salt suppresses bitterness and amplifies both citrus and sweetness, which matters even more in an alcohol-free build than in the boozy one.
This is the mocktail to shake up for taco night, a hot patio afternoon, or any table where half the group ordered frozen margaritas and the other half is keeping it zero-proof. One point of technique worth being stubborn about: shake it hard, a full 12 to 15 seconds over plenty of ice. Tequila would normally contribute two ounces of volume and soften the citrus; here, the water shed by the ice is a genuine ingredient, and an under-shaken virgin margarita tastes thick and cloying instead of crisp.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 drink
- Calories
- ~130 per serving
Published by the NA Bar Finder editorial team
Ingredients
- 2 oz (60 ml) fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1 oz (30 ml) fresh orange juice
- 0.75 oz (22 ml) agave nectar
- Small pinch of kosher salt
- Kosher or flaky sea salt, for the rim
- Lime wedge, for the rim
- Lime wheel, to garnish
How to make it
- 1
Salt the rim
Run a lime wedge around the outside of half the rim of a rocks glass, then roll the wet edge through a shallow plate of kosher salt. Salting only half lets each drinker choose salt or no salt, sip by sip.
- 2
Shake hard
Add the lime juice, orange juice, agave nectar, and pinch of salt to a cocktail shaker filled two-thirds with ice. Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds, until the tin frosts over — the dilution is standing in for the missing tequila.
- 3
Strain over fresh ice
Fill the rimmed glass with fresh ice — one large cube if you have it — and strain the drink over the top.
- 4
Garnish and serve
Perch a lime wheel on the rim and serve immediately, while the drink is at its coldest.
Bartender’s notes
- Squeeze the limes to order. Fresh lime juice starts to dull and turn bitter within a few hours, and bottled juice will make the whole drink taste flat and canned.
- If your agave nectar is too thick to pour cleanly, loosen it into a syrup by stirring two parts agave with one part warm water, then measure a generous 1 oz (about 33 ml) to compensate.
- Skip sweet-and-sour mix entirely. The drink is four ingredients, and it lives or dies on real citrus.
- A rocks glass over one large cube keeps dilution slow; a stemmed margarita coupe looks the part but the drink warms faster in summer heat.
Variations
- Zero-proof tequila margarita: swap the orange juice for 2 oz (60 ml) Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative or Free Spirits The Spirit of Tequila, then pull the lime back to 1 oz (30 ml) and the agave to 0.5 oz (15 ml) — a bar-standard Tommy's-style spec with the agave-pepper character restored.
- Spicy virgin margarita: muddle 2 or 3 thin jalapeño slices in the shaker before adding the juices, and swap the plain salt rim for chile-lime salt.
- Virgin ranch water: build the same mix in a tall glass over ice, halve the agave, and top with 3 oz (90 ml) chilled sparkling mineral water for a lighter, fizzy take.
Bottles that make it better
Non-alcoholic brands from our directory that fit this build — each page lists where to find them near you.
Ritual Zero Proof
0.5% ABV or less
Chicago-based, restaurant-favorite NA spirit line. Their Tequila and Whiskey alternatives are built to disappear into Margaritas and Old Fashioneds.
Where to find Ritual Zero Proof →Free Spirits
Less than 0.5% ABV (approx. 0.2%)
Distilled non-alcoholic spirits with added B-vitamins and amino acids. Spirit of Tequila and Spirit of Gin are the workhorses of the lineup.
Where to find Free Spirits →Rather have it made for you?
These verified bars and restaurants pour virgin margarita-style builds from their own zero-proof menus — no shaker required.
Free Spirit @ Riverdale Hub
Leslieville / Gerrard India Bazaar
Free Spirit is a fully alcohol-free cocktail bar and restaurant operated by Riverdale Hub, a not-for-profit social enterprise inside a converted century-old building in Toronto's Leslieville / Gerrard India Bazaar neighbourhood. It opened April 23, 2024 and runs on a no-tipping, living-wage model, with restaurant proceeds going toward addressing barriers for equity-deserving groups in the community. The ten-drink zero-proof menu spans a Bloody Caesar, a Cosmo built on Seedlip Garden 108, and an Espresso Martini made with Seedlip Spice 94, backed by a zero-proof beer list that includes Guinness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0.
Binge Bar
H Street Corridor (Atlas District)
DC's first fully alcohol-free bar, pairing zero-proof cocktails and craft NA drinks with a Filipino bistro and events space on H Street NE.
Bar Nuda
Pop-up / events (Venice-based)
LA's first Mexican-inspired non-alcoholic pop-up bar — a roving, fully zero-proof sober-social operation with functional Mexican-rooted cocktails, food, DJs, and community events at rotating Venice-area host venues, with no fixed location.
Reposado Bar & Lounge
Ossington
Reposado Bar & Lounge is a tequila- and mezcal-focused bar and lounge on Ossington Avenue in Toronto's Ossington strip, open since 2007 and voted one of Canada's Top 50 Bars in 2024. Alongside live jazz on Fridays and funk on Saturdays, it runs a dedicated "Non-Alcoholic" menu page listing seven named zero-proof drinks with prices, from a $1 Spicy Sangrita Shot to $6 zero-proof takes on its blood orange margarita, Dark 'n Stormy and pineapple fizz. Heineken 0.0 and Guinness 0.0 round out the alcohol-free list.
Deviant Kava
Parkville, MO
Deviant Kava is an entirely booze-free, two-floor "third space" that opened in Parkville, Missouri in 2024, founded by three friends (including owner Wesley Straight) who wanted to bring the community feel of the kava scene to greater Kansas City. Set in a refurbished home about 15 minutes north of downtown KC near Park University, it pairs traditionally brewed kava and kratom tea with a full alcohol-free cocktail bar, specialty coffee (Café Corazón espresso), Hugo Tea, kombucha, yerba mate, and nootropic wellness drinks. The zero-proof menu includes named mocktails like the Captain's Daiquiri and Ashes to Ashes, plus made-to-order alcohol-free Negronis and margaritas. The space spans a bar and lobby, a fireplace room with plants and a library, and upstairs study nooks and a piano, with a deck overlooking the Park University campus. It is positioned as a sober-friendly community hub.
Bar None
West Loop
Bar None is a fully alcohol-free cocktail bar in Chicago's West Loop, operating Friday through Sunday evenings inside Froth, the cocktail-inspired coffee cafe in the lobby of The Duncan at 1515 W Monroe St. Launched in late February 2026 by Heritage Hospitality Group and founder Michael Salvatore, it is billed as Chicago's first THC-integrated sober bar: every drink is zero-proof, and guests can optionally add a fast-acting, flavorless 2.5mg hemp-derived THC microdose ("Find Your Zen") to any cocktail. Beverage director Luke Nevin-Gattle runs the program with the seriousness of a full bar, building hand-crafted mocktails alongside packaged favorites. Named pours include a St. Agrestis Phony Negroni and the house "Good Vibrations," plus an alcohol-free espresso martini, a spicy margarita, and a gold rush. The list also carries Leitz non-alcoholic wines, Guinness 0, and rotating Wynk THC seltzers. Chicago Magazine named it among the city's hottest new openings.
Frequently asked
Yes. For six drinks, combine 12 oz (355 ml) fresh lime juice, 6 oz (180 ml) orange juice, 4.5 oz (135 ml) agave nectar, and 4 oz (120 ml) cold water — the added water replaces the dilution a shake would provide. Refrigerate up to four hours, since lime juice loses its brightness after that, and serve over ice in salted glasses.
Roughly 20 to 24 grams per drink, most of it from the agave nectar with a little from the orange juice. For a drier version, cut the agave to 0.5 oz (15 ml); the salt rim keeps the drink from tasting austere.
It contains no alcohol and no caffeine, so it works as a family-table drink. For children, consider skipping the salt rim and adding a splash of sparkling water, since the full-strength mix is fairly tart for young palates.