How Do I Choose the Best Margarita Mix?

Choosing the best margarita mix can be time-consuming and confusing, especially for people who have never had a margarita. If you like lemonade or limeade, you can make a margarita mix from scratch in a similar fashion. For people that do not prefer the traditional lemon or lime margarita mix, watermelon, pineapple and all sorts of other fruits can be used instead. Depending on the local laws and liquor store policies, you may need to meet the legal drinking age to buy a mix, even if you do not plan on using the margarita mix with alcohol.

The traditional margarita uses lemon or lime juice as the key ingredient. If you like a sweet alcoholic beverage, heat sugar, water, and the juice in a sauce pan until thoroughly melted. Cool the syrup, then add it to the liquor and stir. It may take a few tries to find the perfect amount of sugar to balance out the taste of alcohol. Garnish the drink with a lemon or lime wedge, then enjoy it.

All kinds of fruit juices can be used in a margarita mix. If you dislike lemon or lime, feel free to use strawberries, oranges, or pineapples instead. Technically, when lemon or lime juice is not used, the drink is no longer a margarita, but most people still call it such. A margarita made with orange juice is usually called an orange margarita, and so on. Traditionally, a lemon or lime wedge is still used to garnish the drink, but you can use whatever fruit you prefer or have on hand.

When in doubt, just do an Internet search for a margarita mix flavored with your favorite fruit. If you are looking for a pre-made product, look at product reviews until finding a well-reviewed product within your price range. You do not have to order online in most cases; simply call local liquor stores to ask if they sell the same item. For a homemade margarita mix, do the same search but look for well-reviewed recipes. Remember to read some of the top reviews to see if there are tweaks to make the drink even better.

Meet the age requirement to buy alcohol in your area. A drink mix usually does not contain alcohol, in which case you are legally allowed to purchase it. Many alcohol shops make it a policy to refuse all sales to minors, however. In some cases, they might also refuse to sell a margarita mix if you have a minor with you. For the most part, shops can legally refuse service to people as long as they are not discriminating against a certain race, religion, or other aspect of a potential customer.