This drink makeover takes a classic margarita recipe and makes it into a virgin margarita with a secret ingredient that makes it over the top delicious! Margaritas are really the perfect party drink and offering a non-alcoholic option makes a fun drink for everyone to enjoy!
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It seems like the margarita is the quintessential party drink… or at least it is if you are from Texas like me! You can find them at anything from a backyard barbeque to a bridal shower or holiday party. The cocktail is casual and tasty and I am not sure if I have ever met anyone who didn’t like them. This made the margarita the perfect candidate for my next cocktail to mocktail makeover.
There are several levels of margaritas you can find. On one hand you can have a really exquisite top shelf hand crafted margarita, and on the other you can scoop it out of a bucket. The quality definitely shows through in the taste, and so when I made this non-alcoholic version I wanted to really capture all that a margarita can be when it is made beautifully.
I was never a bartender or waitress, but I do love to eat and really appreciate the difference in flavors. When I traveled often I got into a conversation once with a bartender about the fact that I was from Texas. He was a wealth of knowledge on everything behind the bar and gave me the best lesson I have ever had on margaritas. He told me that when you make them Texas style they always have a splash of orange juice and that has been my secret ingredient ever since.
Naturally that transitioned over to the virgin margarita recipe and gives the drink the distinct balance and depth of flavor you hope for in a really good margarita. I feel like I have used a lot of big fancy words to describe this but the fact is if I am making it you can can count on two things. 1. It will be easy. and 2. It will be delicious! This recipe meets both.
To make the cocktail you will only need a few ingredients. First, orange juice and limeaide, which you can find in the freezer section. You will want to prepare it per the directions on the can. You can also use fresh lime juice and simple syrup, but that makes things a little more involved so I just stick with the limeaide. They also usually sell a margarita concentrate in the frozen section but I find that it is usually similar just more expensive so I stick to limeaide.
You will also need two varieties of Dasani Sparkling Water, lemon and lime. I did the Whole 30 food challenge a while back and really fell in love with flavored sparkling water. The beauty of it is that you get the bite of carbonation with zero calories, unsweetened, zero artificial colors, and it’s caffeine-free. I especially love that it adds great flavor and body to this recipe while cutting the calories in half! You can grab these at Walmart in a 12 pack of 12 oz cans.
I designed this recipe to make one 10 ounce glass of the beverage. You can scale the recipe up proportionally for as many as you would like to serve. So if you want 10 glasses, multiply each ingredient by 10. So for example, 5 cups of limeaide instead of 1/2 cup.
To start combine the prepared limeaide and orange juice in a pitcher. Gently mix in the Dasani sparkling water until everything is combined.
If you would like to rim the glasses with salt (this gives it a more authentic taste!) grab two small plates. Put water on one and salt on the other. Dip the rim evenly into the water and then into the salt.
Next fill each glass up about 2/3 full with ice. Pour the virgin margarita mix over the ice and garnish with fresh lime or lemon.
And that’s all folks! Everything you need to know for how to make a non-alcoholic margarita. Quick, easy and delicious as promised! Stay tuned for one more classic cocktail turned mocktail tomorrow!
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Virgin Margarita Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup limeaide
- 1/4 cup lemon flavored Dasani Sparking Water
- 1/4 cup lime flavored Dasani Sparkling Water
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- ice
- Optional: salt & lime to garnish
Instructions
- Pour limeaide, lemon Dasani sparkling water, lime Dasani Sparkling water and orange juice into a pitcher and mix.
- Rim glass with salt if desired by turning glass upside down and dipping it into water then salt.
- Fill glass 2/3 full with ice, then pour the margarita over the top.
- Garnish with lime.
- Note: This makes 1 10 oz drink, scale the recipe up (1:1) to make your desired amount of drinks.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Ronda says
I am not able to find the lemon sparklingly water, only the lime. Is there any other lemon sparkling water you can recommend as a substitute? Thank you!
John Bennett says
You can use Ginger Ale. That works well. Also add a few drops of lemon and Lime and there you go!
Dennis Martz says
Question: Since I have problems with Sparkling (carbonated) water, is there a non carbonated water anyone can suggest, or maybe even just using plain (filtered) water? Also, I don’t see any sweetener of any kind (Splenda, Stevia, etc) does this come out “sweet” enough? My wife and I enjoy g “Virgin” Jose Cuervo Margaritas once a day, but the 26 grams of sugar in just 4 oz and the mix ($7.00/bottle) make it a little crazy (especially with both of us being diabetic) Love the taste, but hate the sugar – and the price!
Kimber says
Hi Dennis- Margaritas aren’t actually sparkling when they are alcoholic, but I like the extra little zing in place of the alcohol so that is why I add the sparkling water. You can definitely just use regular filtered water and see what you think.
shawn says
My 84 yr old mother in law was recently diagnosed with Lung cancer. Her husband and her traveled to Mexico many times enjoying margaritas there and many afternoons at their house. Last week she mentioned she was craving a margarita but having started chemo and radiation therapy she couldn’t have one. Found your recipe and after 2 hours of going from store to store to find the ingredients you list, and a trip to find margarita glasses I whipped one of these up for her. I took it down to her apartment and she almost broke out into tears. She raved about the taste and was surprised there was no alcohol in it. THANKS
Mandy Reyes says
I love this recipe and would like to make it in an alcoholic version. Any idea what the proportions should be?
Kimber says
I will make it by making canned limeaid and substituting one can of water for Tequila. Hope that helps!
Lynn Sleeper says
How. can I increase this recipe to make a big amount for a party of 14?
Lynn says
Has any one made this recipe by the pitcher?
Shelby says
Question is this limeade concentrate or make a pitcher of limeade from frozen concentrate and then measure out as listed? Thanks!
Rushelle says
I made this at work yesterday and it was a big hit.
If I have a party at home I will just add tequila ?
Ben Butler says
Awesome virgin Margarita, we loved it.
Niki B. says
Great recipe! I’ve made it your way and I also made it where I subbed Jose Cuervo Margarita mix for the limeade, which made it taste a lot more like a margarita. Yumm!
Cheryl says
I can’t find Dasani sparkling water. What else can I use?
Kimber says
Any lime or lemon lime sparkling water will work!