Whether it’s for Cinco de Mayo, girls’ night, or happy hour, a good margarita is always welcome. Sweet and sour mix is an essential component of the perfect margarita recipe. You can make your own, but a commercial sour mix is easy and tastes great when you use the right one. Check out this list of the best sour mix for margaritas.
Best Store-Bought Sour Mix for Margaritas
A lot of people will argue that fresh ingredients are better, but we don’t all have access to the fresh ingredients needed or the time to make homemade sweet and sour every time. A prepared sweet & sour or margarita mix is the perfect replacement for your own sour mixture.
But which store-bought margarita mix will live up to a fresh sour mix? Here are some options that make it easy to create great cocktails.
Winner Best Sour Mix for Margaritas
Finest Call Premium Juice Lime Sour Drink Mixture
Premium sweet and sour is a bartender’s must-have. Using Key lime and California lemon, the juice has no added sugar – perfect for a tart or sharp margarita and will be a huge hit at your next cocktail party.
Best Skinny Sour Mix
Master of Mixes Sweet N’ Sour Lite
Counting calories? A skinny margarita is your friend! Mixes without added sugars like Life Sweet ‘n Sour are perfect for enjoying all your favorite cocktails without the extra calories!
Add this to your favorite margarita recipe for a guilt-free cocktail with the same taste as the fully-loaded version.
Best Organic Sour Mix
Agalima Organic Authentic Sweet & Sour
This all-organic sour mixture by Agalima uses pressed lemons, blue agave nectar from Jalisco, and pure cane sugar – creating a unique juice that tastes freshly squeezed.
The fresh lemon flavor goes well in many different cocktail recipes.
Best Budget Sour Mix
Zing Zang Sweet & Sour Syrup
If you are looking for an all-natural sweet & sour mix that combines everything you need for the perfect margarita in one single bottle (sans tequila, of course), choose Zing Zang.
This affordable option is made from all-natural ingredients, combining the flavors of lime, lemon, and orange bitters – simply add tequila, and you’re ready to go.
Best Flavored Sour Mix
Republic Spirits Pineapple Jalapeno
Looking for a margarita mix that will spice up your cocktail?
This pineapple-jalapeno sour mixture is the perfect addition to a margarita with a spicy twist. Simply add it to a shaker with ice, triple sec, and your favorite tequila.
Store Bought VS Homemade Sour Mix?
Homemade sour mix was often considered better, but as premixed sours become more available, the quality has increased immeasurably.
Sweet and sour is made from a simple syrup (simple syrup is made by heating raw sugar with hot water until the sugar dissolves) and mixing fresh citrus juice (fresh juice can be lemon or lime).
As more pre-made sour mix hits the market, the quality of the products available only gets better, and there is currently a great range of products available both online and in-store.
If you’re hosting a large event or cocktail party, you’ll need a big batch, and often. The best way to do this is by mixing the store-bought stuff with homemade sour mix.
Is the margarita mix not hitting the spot? Just add some more fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice for a sour taste and a vitamin C kick.
Pro Tip – Homemade mixtures can be both tarter and more viscous than store-bought, so keep this in mind when making your margaritas. Add ice, white tequila, triple sec, and your sweet and sour mixture together in a cocktail shaker or lidded mason jar. Then shake vigorously.
Don’t forget the kosher salt for the rim and a lime wedge to garnish!
The Best Homemade Sour Mix Recipe
A homemade sweet and sour syrup will not have the same shelf life as the bottled stuff, so it is often better to make it in small batches – unless you have a big party coming up, of course!
Squeezed lime juice or squeezed lemon juice (or both) mixed with a simple sugar syrup is all you need. To make sugar syrup, add sugar and water in a large saucepan until completely dissolved. Store in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, in the fridge for a longer shelf life.
If you’re looking to stir things up a little bit, try one of these sweet-and-sour mixture variations.
- Instead of using lemon juice, try making sweet and sour syrup with freshly squeezed orange juice or grapefruit juice instead.
- Make it spicy by infusing the syrup or mixture with sliced fresh jalapenos.
- Add herbs and other botanicals that complement the flavor of freshly squeezed lemon juice and lime juice – basil, lemon verbena, or even lavender are great options.
FAQs
Is sour mix the same as margarita mix?
More or less, the two are the same; however, margarita mixes often contain only lime juice in the recipe. Traditional sour mix recipes use lemons and limes – but most people won’t be able to tell the difference.
What is a sour mix made of?
The sour mix is made from citric juice – such as lemon or lime juice – and mixed with a simple sugar syrup. Sour mix is an easy recipe you can make at home and can be added to some of your favorite cocktails – such as whiskey sours or tom collins.
Is a sweet and sour mix the same as a sour mix?
Sour mix is sometimes called sweet and sour mix – but they are both the same thing. The sweet and sour mix recipe is simply the juice from lemons and limes mixed with simple sugar syrup.
What can I use instead of the sour mix?
If you can’t get hold of your own sour mix, the fresh sour mix is easy to make at home if you have the recipe. Simply mix equal parts sugar and water over medium heat until dissolved, leave to cool, and mix with equal parts citric acid (juice from lemons and limes).
Key Takeaways
- Sweet and sour mix is an essential ingredient for the best margaritas, as well as other cocktails like a whiskey sour or amaretto sours.
- The best store-bought sweet and sour mix should have the taste of fresh lemon juice and lime juice with some sweetness from the simple syrup.
- DIY sour mix is easy to make, and you can substitute fresh lime juice or fresh-squeezed orange juice for the lemon juice
- In a pinch, fresh citrus juices, simple syrup, or substituted raw sugar can be used in place of sour mix in a traditional margarita and other classic cocktails.
