A cocktail is only as good as the sum of its parts, and while the spirit is the star, the supporting cast deserves just as much love. And among them, it’s high time that mixers get their due. From tonic water and soda to colorful syrups and infusions, mixers, in a way, ‘accessorize’ a drink and make it a little more exciting. However, you need not spend too much buying store-made mixers – you can ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) and prepare your own mixers at home. DIY mixers are all the rage – especially in an age where ‘homemade’ is the hottest trend!
If you walk into a bar, you’ll see glossy shelves lined with premium spirits and bartenders working with precision to craft the best cocktails. However, have you noticed how bartenders don’t just craft cocktails – they spend just as much time fine-tuning their syrups, infusions, and mixers. This is because mixers are indeed the backbone of a good cocktail.
Be it your favorite Gin and Tonic (G&T) or a Whiskey Sour, each cocktail has a mixer that’s just as important as the robust spirit in your glass. A splash of tonic in a G&T, soda water in a Mojito, or even freshly squeezed lime juice and sugar syrup in a Whiskey Sour – these are all examples of mixers that help elevate your cocktail from ‘wow’ to ‘woah!’ in an instant!
Store-brought syrups are surely more convenient than homemade ones, but DIY syrups just open more doors to creative expression and of course, quality. A basic simple syrup is made of equal parts sugar and water and is heated until the sugar dissolves completely. To add the essence of flowers or herbs, you can add them into the syrup, let it steep and simmer for some time, and then strain the syrup. Your flavor-packed DIY syrup is ready to uplift any cocktail!
Here are a few examples of flower or herb-based syrups you can make at home:
There’s no competition to freshly prepared fruit juices – and these are not just limited to your morning yoga routine but can help make a cocktail stand out, just like that! Experiment with different homemade fruit or vegetable juices or you can also try making shrubs. These are essentially a combination of fruit, sugar, and vinegar, and add a nice, fruity, and acidic kick to your cocktail.
Here are a few juices and shrubs you can concoct in your kitchen:
Sodas, tonics, and bitters sound like they can’t be made at home, however, with just a little time and effort, you can make delicious, DIY mixers in no time. For DIY flavored sodas, all you need is the preferred syrup of your choice and soda water. Tonics take more time and require ingredients like citrus zests, cinchona bark, and lemongrass to be simmered. Once simmered, the mixture is then strained and for the final drink, the mixture is topped with carbonated water. Bitters involve the use of bitter roots, barks, leaves, and botanicals, and here’s a guide to making homemade bitters.
Here are a few creative ways to make sodas, tonics, and bitters at home:
The list doesn’t end here – there are many other kinds of mixers such as sparkling water, ales, grenadine, milk and cream, fruit purees, and more. Go ahead and experiment with these mixers too and see if you can make these two at home!
Use what’s fresh and in-season. Fruits, herbs, and spices can act as an excellent base for your mixers, but their freshness will greatly influence the quality and taste (as well as shelf life) of your mixers. And of course, using in-season ingredients will inspire flavors that perfectly capture the essence of the season.
If you’re new to making mixers, it is best recommended to invest in a few simple bar tools for your home bar. These include tools like a jigger, shaker, stirrer, etc. These bar tools will help you improve precision and measure spirits to the right amount. Using suitable bar tools will make sure that your ingredient proportions are accurate, helping you create taste-appropriate mixers with well balanced flavors.
Mixers that required certain ingredients to be steeped and infused into a base liquid require special attention. This is because the intensity of the flavor of the ingredient is proportional to how long you let that ingredient steep. Some ingredients like jalapeno infuse quickly whereas some like rosemary take more time. So, the key is to keep checking and keep tasting the flavor of the infused mixture to get the right flavor out of your mixer.
Rosemary, thyme, basil, cinnamon, etc all have their distinct tastes and each one adds a unique touch to a mixer. If you’re using any one of them or a few of them, start with small amounts. Taste along the way as you add them in a syrup and see whether the taste is as per your preference. Adding too much of these herbs at the same time can turn the syrup into a mess and the herbs will likely leave their overpowering taste in the syrup.
Once you’ve prepared a batch of your mixers, you must store them properly to maintain a consistent quality and taste throughout. Know the shelf life of the ingredients you’re using. Store fresh juices, syrups, and purees in airtight containers to extend their shelf life. Refrigerate syrups and infused variations to keep them fresh for up to a few weeks. Alternatively, you can even freeze purees and syrups in ice cube trays and thaw them when required. Store mixers in dark, cool, and ventilated environments to stop them from deteriorating in taste and quality.
DIY is the hottest trend right now – everyone is trying to make things on their own, be it their vegetables, clothes, ceramics, and now, you can even make your own mixers. With just the right ingredients, a little precision, and the right measurements, you can create easy-to-make, delicious, and high quality mixers. It’s time to elevate your cocktail game and give way for DIY mixers!
