Mocktails The Vida Loca Mockarita

Who doesn’t love a margarita? I popped the can already in a good mood at the thought of it. But can anything ready made really substitute for the zing of freshly squeezed lime? And what about the deep kick of tequila that should sit under the fresh citrus adding depth and weightiness.

This is a 0% alcohol version so obviously the tequila is missing, and it would be wrong to say that that doesn’t mean some complexity in the mosaic of flavours of a true margarita is missing. But this is a very fine simulacrum of the real article. I have no idea how they manage to make the lime explode in the mouth as if it had just that second been cut and squeezed but the delicious sourness is pitched just right, and is as fresh as a burst of seaspray. Bitter orange adds counterpoint, and further botanicals (sadly unspecified) make this much more than a simple lime juice. There’s a bitterness, and faintly herbal notes adding to the conversation. Roughly £2.60 for a 200ml can may initially seem a lot of pay for a soft drink – but this comes with all the flavour palette of a cocktail classic at a fifth of the price and none of the sore head. It’s doing a good job.