Virgin Margarita (Margarita Mocktail)

If you’re looking how to make a nonalcoholic margarita or a virgin margarita, you’re in the right place! This 4-ingredient mocktail is simple to make at home and doesn’t require any specialty ingredients! Makes 1 drink, but can easily be turned into a pitcher.

Listen, sometimes you want a margarita without the booze.

I’ve been pregnant twice, so I understand wanting to sip a fancy mocktail.

But also, I have friends who are sober. I also have kids, who sometime want a “fancy drink” to sip at home.

There are a myriad of reasons why you’re not drinking—and no matter the reason you’re not drinking, it’s yours and yours alone.

This virgin margarita recipe tastes like the real deal without the alcohol, so anyone can enjoy it!

Why we love this recipe:

I’m a sucker for a drink that’s perfectly balanced, and that’s exactly what this mocktail recipe offers.

The lime and orange juice play well together. The simple syrup adds a bit of sweetness. The club soda adds bubbles without making it cloyingly sweet.

This virgin margarita does not call for zero-proof tequila (because that’s not something I have at my house, and I bet you don’t have it on hand, either), so if you’re looking for something like that, this recipe is not for you.

Other mocktail recipes you might want to try: Grape Shrub Mocktail | Blood Orange Mocktail Mule | Sparkling Ginger Cranberry Mocktail | Strawberry Mockarita (Strawberry Virgin Margarita) | Sweet Sunrise Mocktail

In the market for a new drink? Check out my Mocktail Recipe Index for inspiration!

What you’ll need to make this recipe

The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.

• Margarita glasses (or other glasses that will work with margaritas)
• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger or mini angled measuring cup
• Citrus juicer or a citrus reamer

In addition to these tools, you’ll need just five ingredients to make this mocktail. You might even have some of them on hand already, depending on how your kitchen and pantry are stocked.

• Limes or freshly squeezed lime juice—I purchase the squeezed kind from the refrigerated section at the grocery store. It’s with the pre-chopped fruit and is worth the splurge. However, you can purchase limes and squeeze ‘em yourself.
• Simple syrup—you can make it at home or you can purchase it from the store or online.
• Orange juice—we don’t need a ton of this, but it’s enough to add a hint of orange flavor to the drink! You can squeeze your own or use something you purchased at the store.
• Club soda—I love how this adds some bubbles and flavor without watering our mocktail down. You could also use ginger ale or a lemon-lime soda if you have those on hand.

Also, if you’ve got some homemade margarita mix at your house, you could use that in place of the lime juice and simple syrup. I have notations on how to do that in the recipe card for you.

Just be forewarned that a lot of store-bought margarita mixes are really sweet, and they might skew this margarita mocktail in that direction, so proceed with caution.

How do you make virgin margarita?

First and foremost, juice your limes (and your orange, if you’re juicing an orange). I typically do this over a liquid measuring cup with a fine mesh strainer on top of it to keep pulp and seeds out of the final juice.

Did you know? You’ll get more juice from your limes if they’re room temperature. If you keep ‘em in the fridge, pop them into the microwave for 20-30 seconds to get those juices flowing!

Also, you’ll want to rim your glass with salt, if that’s what you want from this mocktail recipe. If not, skip on to the next part. If you’re serving this drink to children, I do not recommend adding the salt rim.

Make the margarita mocktail. Measure the lime juice, orange juice and simple syrup into your cocktail shaker. Shake until combined and cold.

Pour the virgin margarita into your prepared glass. Top with club soda.

Garnish with a lime wedge or lime wheel, then enjoy immediately.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

Virgin Margaritas are perfect for anyone and for any kind of occasion—an at-home happy hour, a homemade Mexican dinner night or even a backyard barbecue.

They’re balanced and refreshing and perfect for any time of year. They’re also perfect for any person you might be hosting, so long as they love lime, so having the ingredients on hand is a great thing.

Margaritas at home are simple because they require few ingredients and even less time to put ‘em together! And this virgin margarita recipe is absolutely worth mixing up to share.

Here are a few tips and tricks to make it as easy as possible:

• Make it a pitcher. After all, if you’re hosting several friends, you might as well double or triple the recipe so you’re not mixing up virgin margaritas by request throughout the evening. I’ll explain in the recipe card below.
• Make your simple syrup 1-2 days in advance… or do what I do and make a big batch so you’ve always got some in the fridge. Let it hang out in the fridge, and make a lot of it, depending on how many friends are joining you.
• Squeeze the limes an hour or so before guests arrive—or take the store-bought shortcut. Just be sure to get the fresh-squeezed lime juice instead of the shelf-stable kind. It makes all the difference, promise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks for making the best margarita mocktail

• Double or triple the recipe! While this margarita recipe makes a single drink, you might want to mix more to share. Do the simple math to make things easier on yourself.
• Make it a pitcher drink. There’s nothing like a pitcher drink at a party, and this mocktail is easy to transform into that. I’ve included the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
• Purchase good lime juice or squeeze your own. The shelf stable bottled stuff won’t cut it for this margarita recipe.