comment icon 29 more comments There are 101 reasons why someone might not want to consume alcohol – right now, personally, we are in a season of less alcohol consumption for a number of reasons: physical health, mental health, young kids at home, etc. And in this season of less drinking, I’ve realized that having a fun, nuanced, actually good margarita in your back pocket that is more than just juice in a glass and doesn’t rely on alcohol is a really great life upgrade. So basically, I make this all the time now. Multiple times a week. I keep my lime juice stocked, my simple syrup stocked, and it’s ready for me whenever. How this started: we were having friends over for the Super Bowl and we wanted a non-alcoholic margarita option for several of the friends in attendance. And I started googling. A lot of the non-alcoholic margarita recipes I found online relied really heavily on just juices and sparkling water, and while I’m sure those taste great, they don’t have that signature bitterness OR anything really interesting happening with the flavor to make your mouth just light up with excitement and make up for the lack of alcohol. I really wanted something more fun and special than just lime juice and orange juice with sparkling water. So where we ended up is right here:
lime juice jalapeño cilantro simple syrup – for heat, and also for a fresh herbaceous flavor tonic water – for a bit of bitterness and depth a Tajin rim – for texture, saltiness, and a fast punch of heat
Three ingredients, no alcohol, one really really happy mama over here. I love this drink so much – now officially declaring this my Drink of Summer 2023. For another knockout NA summer drink, this cucumber lime agua fresca has been made in our house at least 78 times. I love it so much.
Non-Alcoholic Margarita Video
Can I Drink This Margarita If I’m Pregnant?
Yes, but you should use something else in place of the tonic water. 4.9 from 15 reviews
1.5 ounces lime juice (about 3-4 limes) 2 ounces jalapeño cilantro simple syrup tonic water to taste (see notes for subs, especially during pregnancy)
For the Jalapeño Cilantro Simple Syrup:
2 cups water 2 cups granulated sugar 1 small bunch cilantro (leaves and/or stems) 1 jalapeño, sliced into chunks
For the Tajin Rim:
1 teaspoon Tajin (affiliate link) 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon sugar
Limes: I buy a huge bag of limes for this and then just juice all of them at once so I have a bunch of lime juice in the fridge. I use this little juicer for juicing! Pitchers: I use these adorable little glass milk pitchers (affiliate link) every summer for storing my simple syrups, agua frescas, iced coffee, lots of different things. For these margs, I juice a bunch of limes ahead and then keep one pitcher of lime juice and one of the simple syrup in the fridge for super fast margs anytime the craving strikes! Ultimate life hack. As written, this margarita uses tonic water which contains quinine. It’s what gives it a bitter flavor and prevents it from being overly sweet. Since quinine is not recommended for consumption during pregnancy, I would probably recommend making this with some kind of alternative. Alternatives to tonic water:
A sparkling water like Topo Chico Quinine-free tonic water A bitter-forward sparkling water like grapefruit Spindrift or something similar Sparkling juice, like watermelon juice from Trader Joe’s
I promise it’ll still be delicious – I make it with tonic water subs all the time! And congratulations! ❤️
Can I Use Non-Alcoholic Tequila For This Margarita?
You could! I would just replace the tonic water with your tequila. Personally, I don’t buy or drink non-alcoholic spirits just because they are expensive and we don’t use them often enough and historically I haven’t always liked the taste of them. So personally, I don’t use any NA subs. I find that this combination of some “regular” ingredients will make an amazing stand-in for a margarita if you want to skip the alcohol, which is why I love this recipe! No special products required.
How Spicy Is This Margarita?
Not spicy at all. There’s heat, and you can definitely taste the jalapeño in the syrup, but it’s not hot in your mouth spicy. If you WANTED it to be spicier, I would use a higher ratio of Tajin to salt / sugar on the rim, and I would also add another jalapeño or two to the simple syrup!
More Non-Alcoholic Drinks We Love
Cucumber Agua Fresca (the perfect tart and fresh summery drink) Vanilla Mint Iced Coffee (smooth, lush, and so satisfying) Mango Kiwi Coolers (the best warm weather treat) Rosemary Pom Spritzer (tuck this one away for a special holiday drink this winter) Blueberry Matcha Latte (the perfect morning pick-me-up!)
