Margarita Mocktails

More About This Recipe

• This delicious gourmet margarita is actually a mocktail. No liquor at all. And I promise you won’t miss it! For the first 35 years of my life, I lived without drinking. A total teetotaler, I sipped Shirley Temples instead of champagne. And poured soda into saccharine sweet drink mixes. Because, those are your options when you’re steering clear of the liquor. Right? No way, Jose Cuervo™. We’ve come a long way when it comes to mocktails. No longer relegated to blender batches, booze-free sippers are as artisanal as coffee, bagels and locally sourced brews. A favorite to serve to friends, these nonalcoholic margaritas are bright and tart, with a kiss of grapefruit and rimmed with lime-chili salt. I’m about to show you the sneaky secrets that’ll get you a pitcher of virgin margaritas so yummy, even the liquor lovers will want a sip. Truth is, booze-free drinks are all about the proper ingredient mix-ins. And there are a few ways we add a kick of “whoa” to this one. For starters, honey or agave lends authentic sweetness with a depth of flavor you can’t get from sugar. Fresh lime juice aplenty goes in the mix. As does the slightestlittlestbit of almond or orange extract. I recommend orange, but only had almond. And adding it was glorious. Extracts make the difference between “oh, it’s a virgin margarita” and “Oh! This is amazing! What is in here?!” Trust me. Now the second trick to this drink is an upgrade from the basic salt rim. Listen, when you’re drinking a no-booze drink, you don’t want something that tastes kinda like the original. You want something that tastes even better. So we’re going to allow ourselves to get creative with this one. We’re going to make it delicious in its own right. So rim those glasses with lime and chili salt. Your face will thank you. All that’s left to do from here is blend the ingredients together with ice, pour and enjoy. Simple and perfect, I think you’ll find this combo good enough to turn you into a temporary teetotaler!