Mock Margarita
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙
The Mock Margarita is a non-alcoholic riff on the Margarita, shaking lime and lemon juice with agave syrup and topping with ginger ale over a salt rim. Sharp citrus tartness softens into a silky, honeyed body, while a fizzy lift and salty edge carry a bright, clean finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Rim the glass with salt
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Lime juice 30 mlLemon juice 15 mlAgave syrup 30 mlSaline solution 3 dashes
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top up with Ginger ale
- Garnish with a lime wedge
Tips
- Rim the glass with salt before building the drink — it dries out if applied after the ginger ale is poured.
- Pre-chill the glass so the drink doesn't warm and flatten the ginger ale's carbonation before serving.
- Add the saline solution a dash at a time and taste — it stands in for tequila's savory edge without overpowering the citrus.
History
The Mock Margarita is an alcohol-free take on the Margarita, using agave syrup, lime and a salt rim to echo the tequila original without the spirit. The Margarita's own origin is disputed among several claimants across the late 1930s and 1940s on both sides of the US–Mexico border, with rival stories crediting different bartenders and hostesses and no single account settled. The mock version carries that tart, saline profile into a non-alcoholic long drink.
FAQ
What is a Mock Margarita?
A Mock Margarita is the non-alcoholic version of a Margarita, made by shaking lime and lemon juice with agave syrup and ginger ale, then straining over ice into a salt-rimmed glass. It swaps the tequila and orange liqueur for ginger ale's spice and fizz, keeping the same tart, salty profile without the alcohol.
How do you make a Mock Margarita?
Rim a chilled old-fashioned glass with salt, then shake lime juice, lemon juice, agave syrup, and a few dashes of saline solution with ice. Strain into the ice-filled, salt-rimmed glass, top up with ginger ale, and garnish with a lime wedge.
What can I use instead of tequila in a margarita?
Ginger ale is the stand-in used in this build, adding spice and carbonation where tequila would normally bring heat and body. Combined with lime, lemon, and agave syrup, it keeps the drink's tart, salty character while staying alcohol-free.
Is there anything non-alcoholic that tastes like tequila?
There is no direct non-alcoholic substitute that replicates tequila's agave flavor and heat, but this recipe compensates by combining agave syrup for sweetness with a dash of saline solution for the savory edge tequila usually provides. Ginger ale then adds the spice and effervescence that carry the drink.
What is the non-alcoholic version of a margarita called?
It is commonly called a Mock Margarita or Margarita mocktail, made tart and fizzy with fresh citrus and ginger ale instead of tequila and orange liqueur.
