Before bartenders and restaurants began to treat nonalcoholic drinks with the same respect as craft cocktails, the virgin margarita, often just some bottled mix thrown in a blender with ice, was sadly one of the more interesting beverage options for those abstaining from alcohol. But tequila (and its sister spirit, mezcal) can add way more than just a buzz to mixed drinks. The herbal, earthy, spicy, smoky flavor of agave-based spirits brings balance to sour citrus, sweet syrups, and savory tomato juice in margaritas, palomas, Bloody Marias, and other drinks.
As producers began to make zero-proof spirits to taste like and act as a substitute for liquor in mixed drinks, the selection of nonalcoholic gin, bourbon, and rum taste-alikes exploded, while the list of tequila and mezcal alternatives lagged (very) far behind. Luckily, producers of alcohol-free spirits have started to make up ground on tequila alternatives, at last. While there are still fewer nonalcoholic tequilas than, say, nonalcoholic whiskeys or gins, we tried a wide range of currently available options and found plenty worth drinking. Here are our recommendations:
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