Review: Square One Cocktail Mixers
Review: Square One Cocktail Mixers
Square One is best known for its high-quality line of straight and infused vodkas, and now, after 15 years, the brand is stretching out into a new category: cocktail mixers.
Like Square One Vodka, Square One Cocktail Mixers are organic and made with quality firmly in mind. The mixers are “high-juice, low-sugar,” with all having 50 calories or less per serving. They’re also all vegan and gluten-free.
Five expressions are available, and we received four (all but the Pink Daisy version) for tasting — along with Square One’s vodkas to mix with, of course. Prices are all per 750ml bottle.
Square One Bloody Mary – A natural standby and a good place to start. Extremely thick, almost tomato soup-like — presumably so it can handle a large amount of vodka (cucumber or botanical, presumably). It’s not spicy at all, with just a touch of celery salt and Worcestershire to add a bit of nuance. That said, there’s not a whole lot going on here, though fans of a more straightforward tomato character may gravitate to this. B / $10
Square One Lively Lemon – Lemon and can sugar, with a touch of coriander in the mix. This drinks like an intense lemonade, and can be credibly served as such if you’re in a pinch. Its balance tips ever so slightly to the side of sour, with a lasting pungency that sears the throat. Vodka actually tames it and offers a near-perfect balance. A- / $10
Square One Luscious Lime – I got a strange hint of curry powder on the nose of this one, so had to look it up. Aside from lime and sugar, this mixer is infused with a touch of “fragrant rose essence,” which gave me pause. There’s definitely a clear floral character as it develops on the tongue, and it actually lingers longer than the citrus does. Best in smaller doses, or if fresh limes aren’t available. B- / $10
Square One Ginger Syrup – Ginger and sugar, with touches of lime and, again, coriander. Designed as an alternative to ginger beer in a Moscow Mule, it’s loaded with fresh ginger notes, with a bracing heat on the palate. There’s a lot of apple character in the mix, and the coriander does add a distinctly Asian note, too, evident mainly on a finish that evokes applesauce. Square One positions this as a much cheaper alternative to using ginger beer, and they’re not wrong on that one. As well, depending on the brand, it may even be the more enjoyable alternative. A- / $12
Square One Bloody Mary
$10
