What’s Margarita Mix?

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Margarita mix is ​​a juice-like concoction, typically flavored with lime or lemon, that is used as the base for margarita cocktails. A good mix makes it easy for a bartender or home entertainer to make margaritas – in most cases, all that needs to be added is liquor and sometimes ice. The mixes are commercially available in most places and come in a wide range, from gourmet to generic. It’s also usually possible to create a margarita mix at home, and the bartenders are often famous for the innovations and twists they add to versions behind the bar.

Basic components

The main goal of any mix is ​​to enable people to make a margarita in as few steps as possible. Traditionally, a margarita is made from a combination of orange liqueur, lemon or lime juice, and some form of sour syrup or bitters. Once these elements are balanced, a bartender will add tequila and stir the mixture over ice or strain into a chilled glass. The mixes do the balancing themselves, which makes creating margaritas as simple as adding booze and serving.

The two essential tastes any margarita mix must balance are sweet and tart. The sweetness usually comes from sugar cane or, in some commercial varieties, corn syrup. Lime and often a squeeze of lemon usually makes up the “tart” element.

How a mix achieves these complementary tastes says a lot about its quality and depth. The mix must encapsulate all the flavors that the final cocktail will bring, save of course the alcohol. This creates a lot of variety and mismatch when it comes to actual ingredient lists.

Commercial mixes

Prepackaged margarita mixes are available at many supermarkets and liquor stores. Choices often range from gourmet to generic; blends can be made with all-natural ingredients or can be artificially flavored. There is usually no shortage of options.

Margarita mix often resembles a green colored juice, but is usually not suitable for drinking on its own. Most commercial blends are highly concentrated, meaning they need liquor or water to dilute them. They are usually too sweet or too tart to be palatable on their own.

How to choose the best mix

Choosing from the wide range of options available can be daunting. First, it is important to consider the type of drink produced. Inventive and expensive mixes tend to create more gourmet-style margaritas. These might be fine at a dinner party, while a backyard barbecue or more informal gathering might call for something a little more low-key and inexpensive.

Added sugar and artificial flavors are also concerns for many people. Reading a mix’s ingredients label will reveal how many sweeteners were included, for example, and whether the mix actually contains lime juice or just artificial lime flavoring. Overall calorie and sodium counts can also influence a decision.

Homemade alternatives

Making margarita mix at home is another option. This method offers more control over the ingredients, but sacrifices some of the conveniences. Making a mix ahead of time still makes things easier when it comes time to mix margaritas, which can be very helpful when serving a crowd.

In most cases, making a margarita mix is ​​basically like making a margarita from scratch, but in bulk. People usually start by counting how many drinks they want to make, then adding how many servings of lime juice, sweet syrup or sugar, and often a sweet liqueur to a pitcher or other large vessel. Once combined, this type of blend can be refrigerated for several days.

Some people get very innovative with their margarita mixes, adding other flavors like orange, mango and strawberry – or incorporating other flavors entirely, like mint or hibiscus. One of the benefits of homemade mixes is that they can be structured however you like.

Mixing with Tequila

Knowing what type of tequila to use with a margarita mix is ​​usually the last step in creating cocktails. Depending on the quality of the mix, it’s usually best to choose a fairly mid-range liqueur. Very cheap tequilas can make the drink bitter, while higher-end brands may not be able to be fully appreciated when balanced with the flavors in the mix.

Replacing water or a light juice with tequila is a great way to enjoy margarita mix without the alcohol. This type of drink is known as a “virgin margarita” and is popular with both children and adults who prefer not to imbibe.

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