The Top 10 Margarita Mixes for 2022

Whether you don’t have much experience as a bartender or just don’t have the time to spend squeezing fresh limes, utilizing a margarita mix is a quick and easy way to enjoy this famous cocktail. Margarita mixes come in a variety of flavors. These may be frozen, dry, or bottled mixtures, as well as mixes for frozen margaritas or slush.

In this post, we will look at how to get the most out of the finest margarita mix as well as examine some of the current liquor-free blockbusters. You may add your own tequila, triple sec, or even just water to make a virgin margarita.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Margarita Mix

Margarita mixes are ideal for people with little bartending knowledge, or as a quick option for an on-demand margarita without the need to purchase and squeeze limes.

It is always a good idea to double-check the mix before using it, since although our review focused on mixtures without liquor, some mixes do arrive ready to drink with liquor included.

Liquor-free mixes do have one significant benefit in that they let you to utilize your own high-quality booze. Regrettably, some liquor blends may include subpar tequila.

Liquor-free mixes are also great for producing a virgin margarita or mocktail. Instead of adding liquor, you may add more water and even more lime juice if necessary.

Before opening, most margarita mixes should be kept in a cold, dark area. After opening a bottle, unless it indicates otherwise, it should keep quite fresh if placed in a pantry; just make sure the cap is properly re-sealed before storing.

These margarita mixes typically have a lengthy shelf life, but once opened, the flavor may begin to vary significantly over time. Nonetheless, it should be safe to consume at this stage. If you have an open bottle that has been sitting about for a while, check to see if it has a strange odor, is discolored, or has any sediment in it. If so, you should pour it out.

About the Margarita

By 2008, margaritas accounted for 18% of all mixed drink sales, making them the most popularly requested cocktail in the United States. Even today, it is one of the most popular cocktails available, and the 22nd of February is designated as National Margarita Day!

The margarita’s origins are less known. According to one legend, the cocktail was invented in 1938 by a Mexican restaurant for a Ziegfeld showgirl who was allergic to every booze save tequila and couldn’t drink it neat. Another legend has it that in the late 1940s, an American socialite named Margaret Sames, also known as Margarita, invented the cocktail for her pals.

In the 1930s and 1940s, a daisy cocktail was a blend of citrus, whiskey, and grenadine served over ice. Daisy drinks came in a variety of flavors, including tequila daisy tequila, orange liqueur (triple sec), lime juice, and a dash of soda. A margarita recipe, albeit under the name Picador, was also discovered in a 1937 cocktail book.

During the 1950s, electric blenders were becoming common in many kitchens, and they were quickly being used to produce daiquiris. A margarita recipe debuted in a 1972 home blender recipe book.

Because a Dallas restaurant struggled to make margaritas for his customers, the first frozen margarita machine was built in 1971. He converted a soft-serve ice cream machine into a margarita dispenser after seeing a Slurpee machine in operation. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History still has a prototype of this equipment.

Mixing a Margarita

There are so many margarita varieties that it would be hard to list them all. We do hope, however, that the majority of you agree that the original margarita includes tequila, triple sec, and lime juice, poured over ice or mixed with ice and served in a glass with a salted rim and a lime wedge.

Whether you prepare fresh margaritas from scratch or use a mix, there are three elements in common that might mean the difference between a dull and a fantastic margarita.

Tequila

It is essential to use high-quality tequila. Seek for a blanco or reposado tequila that is medium to high in price. Tequila should always be made from 100% agave or puro de agave. Any containing the words mixto or oro are made with natural cane spirit.

Blanco, white, or silver tequila is a transparent, young tequila that has been matured in oak for no more than two months. It has a brighter and more pure agave taste.

A reposado tequila has been matured in oak barrels for two to eleven months. This gives it a gold tint, and the taste is balanced between wood and agave. The reposado is also appropriate for margaritas.

Aejo tequila is matured for one to three years, whereas extra aejo tequila is aged for more than three years. While these tequilas offer a variety of traits in and of themselves, their complex tastes are diminished when combined with lime, triple sec, and a salted rim, and should therefore be avoided in margaritas.

You should also refrain from consuming gold tequila. Colors and caramel for sweetness, as well as other tastes, are commonly added to this. Gold tequilas are often used in mixed cocktails at bars.

A tequila’s flavor will also fluctuate based on where it is manufactured in Mexico. While every tequila is made from blue agave, the taste varies depending on climate and soil, therefore it’s worth exploring various tequilas.

Triple Sec

Triple Sec, curaao, or orange liquor has an alcohol concentration of 15% to 30% and is manufactured from orange peels. Cointreau is a 40% alcoholic beverage made from bitter and sweet orange peels. There is minimal taste variation between the two.

Some people like to add Grand Marnier, although its brandy foundation might overpower the other tastes in the margarita.

Whichever you want, the ratio should be around half the quantity of tequila in the mix.

Salt

It is essential to use salt on the rim of a margarita glass. Even a modest amount is enough to bring out the key tastes while softening the bitterness. Salt may also enhance our sense of fragrance, making the taste more potent.

But be careful not to over-salt the rim, since any excess will fall into the glass and disrupt the balance and taste of the drink.

Conclusion

In this post, we looked at how to get the most out of a margarita mix, such as adding top quality tequila and the correct amount of salt around the rim of the glass. Whether you have silver tequila on hand or wish to prepare a virgin margarita, we hope our margarita mix evaluations have been useful.

Since there are so many margarita mixes available, you may experiment with a broad range of various kinds and tastes. This implies that once you’ve discovered your favorite margarita mix, you won’t have to spend 30 minutes prepping limes for a fresh margarita.