Mixers/Non-Alcoholic
By definition, a cocktail is a mixed drink, and while there are plenty of cocktails composed entirely from alcoholic beverages, many of the best involve a mixer — a nonalcoholic juice, syrup, carbonated drink, or some other addition. A mixer’s job may be to twist the flavor of the cocktail in a different direction or to reduce the overall amount of alcohol in the cocktail — or both. While many mixers (like lime juice or simple syrup) can be easily made at home, there’s a cottage industry dedicated to ready-to-use mixers, ranging from artisan ginger ale to exotic, spiced syrups.
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Magnum Exotics recently debuted its new line of coffees in California, with a national expansion on the way. The company behind these products is a major private label coffee supplier, but this is its first original brand being marketed directly to the public. Thoughts on two of these offerings follow. Magnum Exotics Organic Fogcutter Dark…
Blue Crab Bay is an artisan food company on Virginia’s Chesapeake coast, and just a few of its products are non-alcoholic cocktail mixers. We tasted them all, both with and without spirits. Blue Crab Bay Snug Harbor Bloody Mary Mix – Extremely thick. The nose is earthy, like a big beefsteak tomato, with mushroom notes. On…
Powell & Mahoney makes high-end, non-alcoholic cocktail mixers, and recently it’s expanded its lineup to a full 10 different bottlings. Today we look at two of the latest expressions. All of the company’s mixers are made with natural juices, cane sugar, and a smattering of natural flavors, making them a convenient yet high-quality shortcut to…
Dry Soda is a company making a business out of soda with no high fructose corn syrup, less sweetness, lower carbonation, and an overall healthier approach to drinking the stuff. Its products all famously have just four ingredients — water sugar, natural flavors, and phosphoric acid. A 12 oz. can typically hits between 45 and…
Zone 8 is an Illinois-based company looking to bring high-end bottled tea to the masses. It launched on Kickstarter this summer, and though it didn’t meet its funding goals, its future seems unclear. The company is making one expression — Honey Lemon — at present, with seven potential ones to come. This is a blend…
We love Camus’ Cognac. Now the company is doing a brand extension unlike any other I’ve ever seen: into coffee. Per the company: Coffee is a natural next step for CAMUS: similarly to Cognac, coffee is an agricultural product strongly influenced by terroir, judicious harvesting, fermentation, application of heat, and – most of all –…
DID YOU KNOW: Even Perrier has jumped into the flavored waters business? In addition to the classic, heavily mineral-infused sparkling water, you can also sip on three fruit-flavored versions. Give them a try in lieu of club soda or tonic water in your favorite cocktail to see how things change. Thoughts follow. Perrier Lemon –…
Aquavit is a flavored Scandinavian vodka that has as many variations as there are countries in Europe. Finding aquavit stateside is difficult, though. The few bottlings imported here are mass-produced stuff that is, unfortunately, usually not very good. Why not make your own, then? Sounds good, but the number of spices required will probably fill…
Forget acai and yumberries. Cheribundi is doubling down on good old fashioned cherries as a juice and a cocktail mixer. We sampled a flotilla of cherry juice-based concoctions. Thoughts follow. Cheribundi Cherry Juice – 100% juice (mostly cherry, with a bit of apple juice added for sweetness), so you better prepare your palate for the…
As “relaxation drinks” go, Just Chill is one of the better products on the market. Since its 2011 introduction, the product has been a success, and now the company is rolling out two new flavors plus a slightly revamped can design. Each 12 oz. can is now 70 calories instead of 50, as the cans…