Frank Sinatra said, “I feel bad for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.”
If you have been stuck at home for the past year, you might be finding the peak of your daily beverage routine is your morning coffee. Even if you’ve been imbibing, you must admit that your ho-hum, same-old drink of choice pales in comparison to the excitement of an expert and creative bartender sliding you a delectable concoction in a fancy glass complete with lime wedge.
Perhaps bartending school just isn’t in your cards, and the end of the pandemic still isn’t quite in sight. This is the perfect time to step up your happy hour game and discover the secret of mixers for creating the perfect cocktail at home. But where to begin? There is an overwhelming number of mixers out there. And many are chock-full of corn syrup and other artificial chemicals. The last thing you want after your refreshing cocktail is a sluggish sugar crash that seems unavoidable with the standard syrupy mixers flooding the market.
What’s the Deal with Mixers?
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If you want a little more pizazz than just a whiskey and coke or a vodka cran, a cocktail mixer might be exactly what you need to spice up your happy hour. When you first discover cocktail mixers, you might find them too good to be true. They make it possible for you to enjoy a cocktail at home without purchasing and slogging through a slew of obscure ingredients, shakers and other tools, and, inevitably, messes. This one-stop solution sounds perfect – until you bring some home to try.
A common problem with cocktail mixers is that they are over-processed. Highly processed mixers will leave your mouth with a hyper-sweet film of syrup. The artificial flavors can be very cloying and often taste like test-tube-derived imitations of the subtle essences you’re seeking. Not at all the refreshing experience you were hoping for! The bottles, bags, or boxes these mixers come in may not include the ingredients or nutrition information. You have no idea what you’re putting into your body – and once you sample a taste, you often have no idea why!
Organic Cocktail Mixers that offer a transparent and healthful ingredient list are the way to go. Your cocktail will still come together with the ease of a few pours yet taste subtly refreshing instead of like you’re drinking spiked candy.
How to Recognize a Poorly Made Cocktail Mixer
If you want the luxury of delicious cocktails without the bar, you’re going to need to find a cocktail mixer that fits your nutritional values. A poorly made cocktail mixer will leave you feeling bloated and blah. Here are a few labels to watch out for when considering a cocktail mixer:
- Made with Artificial Flavors
- High Sodium Content (anything above 5mg/ 2 fl. oz. serving is a no-go)
- Added Artificial Sweeteners (i.e., high-fructose corn syrup)
- High Sugar Content (anything above 15mg/2 fl. Oz. serving)
- No Natural Juices
- Non-transparent about Ingredients or Nutrition Information
- Cheap, Non-Recyclable Packaging
When you select a mixer and notice any of these features, steer clear before you regret it. Artificial sweeteners are known to heighten cravings and make you feel poorly, as they rapidly raise blood sugar levels and inevitably lead to a crash. Feeling sluggish and foggy after sitting down to what is supposed to be a refreshing and relaxing cocktail is such a buzzkill. So be sure to choose your mixers carefully – we promise that you can have the delectable drink without the inevitable crash.
Qualities of the Best Cocktail Mixers
Similarly to selecting any healthy food, you want to find a cocktail mixer that leaves you feeling relaxed and refreshed. The last thing you need is to feel guilty about enjoying an unhealthy nightcap or having grumpy guests complain about syrupy, cloying drink choices.
Natural cocktail mixers, such as ROOT Crafted’s The Lemongrass, are among the most delicious guilt-free mixers available to make mixing cocktails at home simple and healthy. The best drink mixers don’t sacrifice health for flavor and convenience by including organic, natural flavors and low sugar content.
Natural Flavors
Hints of flavor, such as real lemon juice and cane sugar, are naturally occurring ingredients used to create healthy recipes that taste homemade. Unlike artificial sweeteners, natural flavors are subtle and authentic, so a cocktail mixer containing only natural flavors won’t have that syrupy, chemical taste that leaves you feeling bitter and guilty. The Lemongrass includes only 16g of sugar per serving, and ROOT Crafted Original Cocktail Mixers offer other flavors with even less sugar.
Low Calorie
Maybe you’re a connoisseur of “skinny” drinks. If so, you have probably noticed the lack of calories often means you sacrifice taste. Skinny cocktails are often processed into submission or are little more than straight liquor. Low calorie often means low enjoyment. But with natural, organic ingredients blended perfectly for subtle and delicious flavor, you can have your perfect drink and cut calories too! The Lemongrass contains a mere 68 calories per serving.
Easy to Use
If a mixer requires a slew of extra ingredients and equipment, it can often become more stressful to make a ‘relaxing’ drink than it is worth! You need a mixer that is so simple to use, you barely need any instructions. A high-quality mixer is so versatile that a single flavor can be used to create many different cocktails. This lovely flavor complexity ensures that you can offer a unique taste for every palette at your next party. All ROOT Crafted Original Cocktail Mixers only require that you mix two parts mixer to one part spirit of choice to create a delicious cocktail. Add two parts The Lemongrass and one part tequila, mixed on the rocks with a little salt on the rim, and you’ve got a perfect Lemongrass Margarita.
Cocktail Mixers: What to Look For
When you look for a cocktail mixer for yourself or your gathering that features the healthful convenience of natural flavors, low calories, and ease of use, it’s essential to focus on:
1. Ingredients
Many mixers use artificial ingredients, but ROOT Crafted Original Cocktail Mixers include only organic ingredients in their recipes, guaranteed to make refined effortless. They proudly display each flavor’s short ingredients list and nutritional value on their website. All their flavors, including The Lemongrass, contain naturally-sourced, high-quality, gluten-free ingredients, and no artificially made flavors or preservatives.
2. Manufacturing Practices
ROOT Crafted Original Cocktail Mixers ships their mixers in recyclable glass bottles with a metal cap. Their gift boxes are wooden. No plastic here! They are dedicated to decreasing their carbon footprint by sourcing sustainable and recyclable materials. Their dedication to health encompasses not only the health of your body but also that of our environment.
3. Serving Size
Some of ROOT Crafted Original Cocktail Mixers suggested recipes call for two parts or three parts mixer to 1 part spirit, but the truth is you can personalize your mix however you like. Their nutrition facts are listed for a serving size of 2 fluid ounces, so if you happen to be calorie counting, be sure to keep that in mind.
4. Taste and Smell
The owners of ROOT Crafted set out with the intention to create mixers that were not unhealthful for you and still tasted great. Their uniquely blended selections made with all-natural, organic ingredients enable you to have delicious drinks at home with ease. You’ll have to experiment for yourself which recipe delights your palate, but here are a few things the owners say about their mixers when put to use:
Trish on Whisky Cocktails
“I don’t always drink whisky, Diane, but when I do, I always choose a Root Manhattan. The Granada takes the bite out for me and creates a soothing, delicate taste.”
Diane on Bourbon Cocktails
“While I was never a huge fan of bourbon, I found a new taste for it with Root Old Fashioned. I am a little biased, but I think our Au Pear is simply the perfect blend with bourbon.”
Sometimes – especially in these crazy times – you just need a good cocktail. And it’s impossible to get a good cocktail on-demand without mixers when you don’t have a live-in bartender. (If you do, care if I come over?) But protecting your nutritional values, as well as having easy access to an artisan-crafted cocktail, is now within easy and delicious reach, thanks to Root Crafted. Their organic, creative concoctions ensure a relaxing evening while you enjoy that irreplaceable sip of a personalized, tasty drink in the comfort of your own home. If you are entertaining, ROOT Crafted Original Cocktail Mixers can help take your social event to the next level with its magic melding of complex flavors and convenience.. When picking out a new mixer to try, keep these tips in mind, and maybe your day will peak beyond your morning coffee.
ROOT Crafted Original Cocktail Mixers simplifies the handcrafted, artisanal cocktail you have been missing. Uniquely blended selections made with all-natural, organic ingredients enable you to offer exceptional drinks with ease. Simply add your favorite spirit to ROOT, and it’s time to drink and be merry! The ingredients in their cocktails are all ROOTed in the earth, as ROOT Crafted uses organic, all-natural ingredients blended to perfection—so drinking can be ‘kinda’ good for you and still a whole lot of fun!
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