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Liquors / Chloe Jeong
The margarita is a classic and simple cocktail that everyone should know how to make. All you need are just a few simple ingredients: high-quality tequila or mezcal, fresh lime juice, and a citrus sweetener such as triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier, or even just a little agave nectar or syrup. Combine, shake, and pour—it’s as easy as that.
However, sometimes you don’t have the right ingredients (or the time!) to whip up a drink, or perhaps you're planning to make a batch of cocktails for a group of friends who outnumber your limes. For those situations, a good margarita mixer can be incredibly helpful. There is a wide variety to choose from, and many are made from natural ingredients and offer a refreshing taste. Each has a distinctive flavor profile, from sour to spicy to fruity, offering something for every palate.
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Agalima Margarita Mix is proof that simplicity is best, and this brand keeps things fresh and uncomplicated. Organic lime juice and blue agave syrup are the base of this mixer, which is bright, slightly sweet, and just acidic enough to work with any tequila. Try this mixer and see if you can tell the difference between the resulting margarita and one that's built from scratch. (Pro tip: You can play around with this mixer to try making other lime-heavy drinks as well, like a Gimlet or a Daiquiri.)
Bottle Size: 18 ounces | Calories: 130 per serving | Ingredients: Water, organic lime juice from concentrate, organic agave syrup, organic cane sugar, organic lime juice, natural flavor, sea salt, ascorbic acid | Servings: 9 per bottle
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If you are looking to add a spicy kick to your margarita, check out New York City-based Hella Cocktail Co.’s habanero-infused version. No fructose, artificial colors, or artificial flavors are included here—just fresh lime juice, sugar, and real habanero peppers. This mixer is not overly sweet and provides a nice balance of citrus and spice. The habanero is not overpowering, either, but it livens up your drink all the same.
Bottle Size: 25.4 ounces | Calories: 70 per serving | Ingredients: Filtered water, cane sugar, lime juice (water and lime juice concentrates), habanero peppers, citric acid, sea salt, orange extract, lime extract, rosemary extract (as antioxidant), red pepper extract | Servings: About 13 per bottle
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There's a reason Jose Cuervo Margarita mix is many people's go-to at-home mixer—it's not too tart, the sweetness is balanced, and it has that oh-so-familiar margarita flavor that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. And, at a budget-friendly price point, you can quench a crowd's thirst for mere dollars. We recommend you use this Classic Lime mix for blended margs with a classic salted rim. Throw it into the blender with some ice and tequila and pretend you are on an island somewhere.
Bottle Size: 59.17 ounces (1.75 liters) | Calories: 110 per serving | Ingredients: Water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavors, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate (as preservatives), gum acacia, CMC gum, saib, polysorbate 60, yellow 5 | Servings: 15 per bottle
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If you’re concerned about the amount of calories in your margarita mix but don’t want to sacrifice flavor and quality, look no further than Stirrings’ 5 Calorie margarita mix. This mixer uses sucralose instead of sugar as a sweetener, which is why the calorie count is so low. But that doesn’t mean your margarita will have a saccharine, diet cola-like flavor. On the contrary—the key lime concentrate, the core ingredient here, pops with a freshness and tartness that will complement any tequila.
Bottle Size: 25.4 ounces | Calories: 5 per serving | Ingredients: Water, key lime juice from concentrate (water, key lime juice from concentrate), citric acid (for flavor), natural flavor, pectin, sucralose, acesulfame potassium | Servings: About 13 per bottles
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Sometimes you're in the mood to host a party, but other times you need to bring the party to your friends. For those occasions, a canned margarita mixer is the way to go. So, grab as many as you need, throw them in a bag, and don’t worry about saving any leftovers. Zing Zang Margarita Mix is made from just a few natural ingredients, including agave nectar, cane sugar, and a blend of three juices—lime, key lime, and grapefruit—bringing a bit of Paloma character to what is still a familiar margarita mix flavor.
Bottle Size: 24 (7.5-ounce) cans | Calories: 90 per serving | Ingredients: Filtered water, cane sugar, juice blend (filtered water and concentrated juices of lime, key lime, and grapefruit), blue agave nectar, salt, natural flavors, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), citric acid, spirulina extract | Servings: 4 per can
Related: The Best Bloody Mary Mixes
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Simplicity and natural ingredients usually make for the best margarita mix, as Powell & Mahoney’s Classic Margarita makes undoubtedly clear. No artificial ingredients or preservatives are used in this mixer, just non-GMO ingredients like lime juice, cane sugar, and organic agave syrup. While you’re at it, why not try some organic-certified tequila when using this to make a margarita as well?
Bottle Size: 25.3 ounces | Calories: 130 per serving | Ingredients: Filtered water, cane sugar, lime juice from concentrate, citric acid, natural orange extract, natural key lime extract, ascorbic acid | Servings: About 12
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Morris Kitchen’s Citrus Agave mixer definitely makes an excellent and refreshing margarita, with a mix of agave nectar, lime, sea salt, orange extract, and some cayenne for a subtle kick. But this is a margarita mixer that can also be used with virtually any other spirit you can think of, from rum to mezcal to vodka and gin. Try out a few different cocktail variations to compare side by side—just switch out the base spirit and see how this versatile mixer performs with each!
Bottle Size: 16 ounces | Calories: 60 per serving | Ingredients: Filtered water, organic agave nectar, lime juice concentrate, sea salt, orange extract, cayenne | Servings: 8 per bottle
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While lime is traditionally the foundation of any margarita, berry flavors often work well in this classic drink as well. Tres Agaves came up with this strawberry version of its margarita mix, and it’s made using just five ingredients: organic strawberry purée, organic agave nectar, organic lime juice, pure filtered water, and vitamin C. The result is a fresh and bright mix that doesn’t veer into saccharine territory.
Bottle Size: 33.8 ounces | Calories: 68 per serving | Ingredients: Organic strawberry purée, organic agave nectar, organic lime juice, pure filtered water, and vitamin C | Servings: About 16 per bottle
Related: The Best Margarita Machines
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An affordable margarita mixer should not mean that you are sacrificing quality or flavor. Master of Mixes Margarita Mixer takes this concept to heart. It’s made from a blend of ingredients like Mexican key lime juice, citrus oils, simple syrup, and agave syrup—so this mixer takes all the elements you would use to make your own drink, like fresh lime juice and triple sec, and simplifies them into a ready to mix option. Best of all? You can usually find it for $10 or less.
Bottle Size: 33.8 ounces | Calories: 130 per serving | Ingredients: Water, high fructose corn syrup, lime juice from concentrate, lemon juice from concentrate, citric acid, sugar, natural flavor, agave nectar, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulfite, sorbitan monostearate, FD&C Yellow 5, FD&C Blue 1 | Servings: About 16 per bottle
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Tres Agaves ticks all the right boxes for an approachable margarita mixer. It’s not overly complicated being made with just four organic ingredients: agave nectar, lime juice, filtered water, and vitamin C. Plus, it’s shelf-stable, and it's relatively low in calories. It's a level of quality that's to be expected from this reputable tequila brand—give this mixer a try using some Tres Agaves Blanco or whatever your favorite tequila might be, and see for yourself.
Bottle Size: 33.8 ounces (1 liter) | Calories: 68 per serving | Ingredients: Organic agave nectar, organic lime juice, pure filtered water, and vitamin C | Servings: About 16 per bottle
Related: The Best Tequilas
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It takes a special kind of mix formulation to make the best margarita slushies, and Kelvin Slush Company’s margarita mix is specifically crafted for blender drinks. It can be used in slushie machines and household blenders, including high-speed ones like Vitamix.
Consider this mix your go-to base for crafting a variety of fruity margaritas, whether it's a strawberry margarita or one with mango, spicy peppers, and so on. Shake the bottle well before opening for the best results. You can also use this in any cocktail that calls for fresh lime juice, which is pretty handy.
Bottle Size: 64 ounces | Calories: 80 per serving | Ingredients: Organic cane sugar, filtered water, organic agave, organic lime juice | Servings: 37 per bottle
Final Verdict
For a top-quality, classic-tasting Margarita mixer, you can't go wrong with Agalima Margarita Mix. The simple two-ingredient mix is as close to homemade as you can get. It will blend flawlessly into a frothy sipper and can also stand up to a traditional on-the-rocks version with a pinch of salt. For all your margarita slushie needs, turn to Kelvin Slush Company's Margarita Mix.
What to Look for When Buying a Margarita Mix
Ingredients
Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients, the better when it comes to cocktail mixes. Many of these are fairly straightforward, made with just a few ingredients. Others are a little more complex and have specialized flavors, leaning toward spicy or sour, for example, or other fruits such as strawberries.
Cost
Typically, the mixers with the most premium ingredients will cost more. The budget options often use artificial ingredients, but some high-quality craft brands use organic ingredients and work nicely with neatly any tequila. However, there are still some tequila mixers that aren't loaded with artificial ingredients, and that won't set you back much more than $10.
Taste
This might seem obvious, but it should taste good on its own without anything added to it. A margarita mix will look and taste something like limeade. It should be tart and a little sweet but not too sugary.
FAQs
Do margarita mixes have more sugar than a homemade version?
This depends on the brand, as some are created specifically to offer a low-sugar alternative. In general, a mix might have more sugar than a homemade margarita, but this depends on how you are making it (agave syrup versus triple sec, for example). The good news is there are different types of mixers to choose from, ranging from sweet to more tart and citrus-driven.
How much tequila do you add to a margarita mix?
Generally, you’ll use 2 ounces of tequila per drink, the same as you would if you were making a homemade version.
Do you need to keep margarita mixes refrigerated?
Most mixes need to be refrigerated once opened and should be used between 10 and 30 days after opening. At the same time, most are shelf-stable before opening and can be stored in a cool, dry place until then. Check the label to be sure, as you don’t want to use a mix that’s gone bad after opening.
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This roundup was edited by Jesse Porter, whose Cadillac margarita recipe is typically quite well-received by his friends, and yet who's gotten very little traction on his Lincoln margarita recipe.
Jonah Flicker is an experienced writer who has been covering spirits and traveling the world, visiting distilleries to taste and discover for almost a decade. His work has appeared in many different national outlets covering trends, new releases, and the stories and innovators behind the spirits. His first love remains whiskey, but he is partial to tequila, rum, gin, cognac, and all things distilled.
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