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The Best Cocktail Mixers

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It’s not always easy to whip up a tasty cocktail from scratch. Whether you’re short on ingredients or simply lack the patience, sometimes it’s best to have a good ready-made or mostly-prepared option waiting at your service.

You might have designs on a solid Bloody Mary but don’t have the willpower to put it together. You might be on the move and looking to efficiently stitch together a quick Moscow Mule, with no tools at your disposal and little time to waste. Maybe you simply don’t want to make a grocery store run for the limes you don’t have.

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The drinks industry is well aware of these scenarios and can outfit you accordingly through a host of pre-made mixes and cocktail kits. Some are so delicious you’d think they were prepared on the spot for your full enjoyment, by an actual bartender.

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Strongwater Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup

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Not all Old Fashioneds are created equal. The best sport a dialed-in recipe that blends all of the flavors together seamlessly. Strongwater Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup is in its own league, with a well-rounded build made of herbs, demerara sugar, and organic cherries. There’s added complexity by way of zesty orange peel and a host of baking spices. The only thing missing is your brown liquor of choice, whether it be whiskey, bourbon, or rye.

W&P Moscow Mule Carry-On Cocktail Kit

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W&P’s crafty kits are made for the thirsty flier looking to take the edge off at cruising altitude. Yet, the neat design and tasty ingredients are as useful and rewarding on land or wherever you find yourself desiring a good mixed drink. The vintage kit outfits you with ginger syrup, a small jigger, a travel-friendly bar spoon, a coaster, and a recipe, simplifying your on-the-go bar game in style. The kit does not include booze but everything else you need to assemble the drink.

Hella Spicy Bloody Mary Mix

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A good Bloody Mary recipe can do wonders, at all hours of the day. This one by Hella touts some satisfying sizzle from real horseradish as well as ghost pepper extract. And while tomato is crucial and the main focal point, depth of flavor is key in this classic brunch cocktail. Made in New York, this batch is loaded with spice, tang, savory notes, and pepper flavors. It’s equally delicious with beer as a refreshing Michelada.

Q Mixers Indian Tonic Water

q tonics
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Built to complement big and floral gins, this tonic water from Q Mixers is a touch sweet and fully effervescent. The quinine, which offers the signature bitter kick, is harvested from cinchona trees growing in the rugged Peruvian Andes. It’s tasty and invigorating on its own but all the better as an easy-to-make cocktail. Suddenly, your gin and tonics just got a lot better.

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