Updated May 2026. and IBA specs.
A virgin drink has no ethanol — 0.0 standard drinks — if every bottle in the glass is non-alcoholic. “NA” beer, wine, and spirits are not automatically 0.0; US labeling can allow a trace (often up to 0.5% ABV on some NA beer). Hard seltzer is alcoholic. We will not reprint a fake 30-recipe tasting list or the old MADD-affiliate chrome.
Bar-order language that is actually alcohol-free when built that way: soda + lime, Shirley Temple (ginger ale + grenadine), Roy Rogers (cola + grenadine), lemonade, iced tea, virgin Paloma (grapefruit + soda), virgin margarita (lime + orange + agave, no tequila/triple sec). Related: NA beer, what NA beer is, how NA beer is made, NA sparkling wine, NA IPA, NA seltzer, cocktail recipes (IBA specs).
Alcohol-free vs almost
| Order | Ethanol if built honestly | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Soda water + lime / cola / ginger ale | 0.0 | Ask them not to grab the well gun if it has been sitting in a cocktail well |
| Shirley Temple / Roy Rogers | 0.0 | Grenadine is syrup, not a spirit |
| Virgin Paloma / “no tequila” Paloma | 0.0 if no spirit and no liqueur | A real Paloma has tequila |
| IBA-style mocktail with 0.0 spirit | 0.0 only if the NA bottle is 0.0 | Some NA beer/wine print ≤0.5% |
| Hard seltzer / White Claw / Truly | Alcoholic | what alcohol is in hard seltzer |
One US standard drink is 0.6 fl oz ethanol. A virgin glass does not use that budget. If the bartender adds a splash of triple sec or a “float,” it is no longer virgin — count it. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line for the alcoholic pours around you, not a mocktail target. Do not drive if you have been drinking alcohol.
Sources
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025) — 0.0 when there is no ethanol.
- IBA public cocktail pages for the alcoholic specs we are not pouring (Margarita / Paloma structure). Fetched 2026.
- NA beer/wine can be ≤0.5% ABV under US labeling — read the can. Hard seltzer is not virgin.
- No invented 30-drink ranking or calorie scores.