Our Most Popular Cocktail Goes Alcohol-Free

OK, OK, we hear you! Our readers want, need and deserve an N/A riff on their beloved coconut cream and lime margarita. You see yourselves sipping it poolside in the middle of the day. You want to live the life without the sleepiness and commitment of booze.

Test kitchen cook Devon Francis is here for you. She built a gorgeous nonalcoholic version of the original with all the same tropical vibes. Tequila and Cointreau are subtracted, and ginger, honey, maca root powder, orange juice and Tajín are swapped in. The result is maybe an improvement on the original, if such a thing is possible.

Devon wanted nothing less than a mood booster with this drink, and she loved incorporating maca powder, an adaptogen, and good-for-you ginger for that reason. “The overall flavor profile is tart, coconutty, with hint of heat from the ginger and Tajín.” If you’ve never tried Tajín, it’s a seasoning seen all over Mexico that comprises chiles, dehydrated lime, and salt. (Look for it in most grocery and liquor stores as well as online and in Latin American markets.) In Mexico City or Brooklyn, you might spy it at the place where you buy your cut mango, and see it shaken into a bag with the fruit. It’s bright, mildly spicy, salty and energizing.

This drink is dynamic, says Devon, and a snap to make. Here’s her killer recipe.

Non-Alcoholic Coconut-Lime Margarita

For rimming the glass:

1 Tbs. pink Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp. Tajín Clásico Seasoning
1 lime wedge

For the drink:

3 oz. (90 ml) coconut milk
2 oz. (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
2 oz. (60 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbs. local wildflower honey
1 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. maca root powder
1/8 tsp. Tajín Clásico Seasoning, plus more for garnish
1 lime wedge

In a small bowl, stir together the salt and Tajín and spread in an even layer. (Using a small bowl rather than plate will result in a thicker coating of the mixture on the rim of the glass.)

Moisten the rim of a rocks glass with the lime wedge, dip the rim into the bowl with the salt mixture and shake off any excess. Place the glass in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Just before serving, fill the prepared glass with ice cubes. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the coconut milk, orange juice, lime juice, honey, ginger, maca root powder and Tajín. Cover, shake vigorously until well chilled and strain into the ice-filled glass. Garnish with the lime wedge and a light sprinkle of Tajín and serve immediately. Makes 1 drink.

Require the boozy version? OK, right this way!