Virgin Margarita

Before you start

Most virgin margaritas taste like limeade, because removing tequila also removes the bitterness, warmth and savory edge that make the drink feel grown up. This version rebuilds those notes with ordinary ingredients. Fresh orange juice and a twist of orange zest stand in for orange liqueur, a few drops of olive or pickle brine and a salt rim add the savory bite, and a little chilled black tea brings tannic dryness that reads like spirit.

The structure stays close to the classic sour: lime for acid, agave for sweetness, shaken hard over ice and served on fresh ice with salt. Measure carefully, because without alcohol the balance is less forgiving. If you have a zero-proof agave spirit, the substitutions show how to use it.

Ingredients

• 30 ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice
• 30 ml (1 oz) fresh orange juice
• 15 ml (½ oz) light agave syrup
• 45 ml (1½ oz) strong black tea — brewed and chilled
• 2 or 3 drops green olive or pickle brine
• 1 strip orange zest
• 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt — for the rim
• 2 cups (about 300 g) ice cubes — for shaking and serving
• 1 lime wheel — for garnish

Method

1. Run a lime wedge around half the outside rim of the rocks glass and roll it in the salt on a small plate. Salting only half lets the drinker choose.
2. Fill the glass with fresh ice and set aside.
3. Add the lime juice, orange juice, agave, cold tea, brine and orange zest to the shaker. Taste a drop on a spoon; it should be tart, lightly sweet and faintly savory.
4. Fill the shaker two-thirds with ice, seal it and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds, until the tin is frosty. Shaking with the zest releases its oils into the drink.
5. Strain over the fresh ice in the glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Tips for success

• Brew the tea strong, about 2 g leaf or 1 bag to 100 ml water for 4 minutes, then chill. Weak tea just dilutes the drink.
• Use the brine sparingly. You should not taste olives or pickles, only a savory roundness.
• Squeeze the lime and orange shortly before mixing. Juice that sits for hours turns flat and slightly bitter.

Substitutions

Black tea

45 ml of a zero-proof agave spirit replaces the tea and gives a much closer margarita flavor. Cold water works but the drink is thinner.

Agave syrup

Simple syrup (1:1) at 20 ml works; agave adds a faint earthy note that suits the drink.

Orange juice

5 ml of a non-alcoholic orange syrup plus 20 ml water gives a more concentrated orange flavor.

Variations

Frozen virgin margarita

Blend the same ingredients, minus the zest, with 1 cup of ice and 5 ml extra agave.

Tajín rim

Replace the salt with chili-lime seasoning for a tangy, gently spicy rim.

Troubleshooting

It tastes like limeade

It is missing the bitter and savory notes. Make sure the tea is strong and do not skip the brine and salt rim.

Too sour

Limes vary. Add 5 ml agave and taste again.

Too much salt in each sip

Salt only the outside of the rim and only half of it, and use coarse salt, not fine table salt.

Storage

Serve immediately. For a party, mix the juices, agave, tea and brine up to 4 hours ahead and keep it refrigerated, then shake each drink to order.