Colin Joliat
Making cocktails isn’t rocket science, but often I don’t want to think about finding a recipe, let alone juicing fruit. Throw Wee Baby Boozist in the mix, running around like a crazy kid demanding “mo” of god knows what, and my cocktail hour can quickly get relegated to beer or whiskey neat o’clock. And while I love both of those fictitious times of day, I’m not ready to give up cocktails purely based on fatigue.
That’s where cocktail mixers come into play. What used to be a staple of the nearly inaccessible bottom shelf at the liquor store or the checkout lane at TJ Maxx (why?) has morphed into a booming industry focusing on high-quality and fresh offerings that can nearly equal a handcrafted cocktail. There are plenty of options in any reasonable store, but
Bittermilk No.4 New Orleans Style Old Fashioned Rouge
There is no shortage of options for Old Fashioned Mixers – Cocktail Crate and WithCo making two of the best – but to keep things interesting, I love to use Bittermilk No.4 to make what I can best describe as a Sazerac and Old Fashioned hybrid. No one could blame you for swearing that you could taste absinthe and Peychaud’s bitters in this delicious cocktail.
Fresh Victor – Mexican Lime & Agave
It’s very easy to screw up a margarita. From using terrible margarita mix to discovering you only have lime juice in a plastic bottle, there are a million reasons to pass on the most famous tequila cocktail. Fresh Victor eliminates all hassle with their Mexican Lime & Agave mix. It’s so fresh that people will believe you spent your entire afternoon juicing fresh limes, and each cocktail hits the pitch-perfect ratio of delicious yet strong.
Jack Rudy Cocktail Co – Elderflower Tonic
The problem with tonic is that the difference between good and bad bottles is more than a few bucks, whereas the difference between good and bad soda water is … well, pretty much nothing. Using a tonic syrup ensures you’ll always have a great cocktail on hand without continually spending money on more tonic. Just add booze and soda water, and you’re off to the races! I’m a big fan of Jack Rudy’s Elder Tonic for a much more interesting G&T.
Perfectly Cordial – Mango, Mexican Chili and Vanilla
I love a Tiki Tuesday and Aloha Friday, but making tropical cocktails from scratch is a huge pain. If it wasn’t, I’d be dabbling in boat drinks far more often. When the urge hits me, I throw on my finest Hawaiian shirt and crack open Perfectly Cordial’s Mango, Mexican Chili, and Vanilla cocktail mixer. It’s easily the fastest way to be transported to the Baja peninsula.
WithCo “Jackass” Mule
Everyone loves some variation of a Moscow Mule, and WithCo managed to make their Jackass mix cater to all of us. Whether you prefer a traditional Mule or a variation – Kentucky (bourbon), Mexican (tequila), Bohemian (absinthe) – or just about anything else you can catch a buzz from, this one bottle has you covered.
