Best Margarita Mix
There’s something special about the cool bliss of a margarita – that sweet/sour lime taste with a shot of tequila, triple sec or other spirit all swirled together with a crush of ice and garnished with salt or sugar on the rim and a slice of lime. It’s a refreshing drink that conjures up the beach at sunset.
These days, you don’t have to travel to a tropical island – or even to your neighborhood bar – to whip up a batch of frosty margaritas. Homemade margaritas are the way to go, but sometimes you just don’t have the time to make one from scratch, especially if you’re hosting a large group.
That’s where a good margarita mix can come in handy. These tasty mixes typically contain some combination of lime juice and sugar, although they come in a variety of flavors in quantities to ensure you can fill up pitcher after pitcher in a matter of seconds.
We narrow down the six best margarita mixes you can buy online. Read on and find the one that that best suits your taste.
Top Pick Best Lime Taste: Lt. Blender’s Margarita in a Bag
You like it nice and easy – making margaritas, that is. And that means not having to take out a blender, gather up ingredients and measure, mix, shake, blend or whatever. If you’re looking for the ultimate easy-to-make margarita mix that will quench your thirst and impress your friends, then this is the mix for you.
We recommend Lt. Blender’s Margarita in a Bag for a nut-free, gluten-free vegan margarita mix that you can take anywhere. The bag is brilliant: no need to measure. Just pour your alcohol of choice to the first line marked on the bag, add water to the next line on the bag, then shake, freeze and squeeze.
These bags are portable; bring it to the beach, a friend’s house, on the boat or to a BBQ. And if there is any left over, reseal the bag and pop it back into the freezer to use another day. Each 12-ounce bag makes ½ gallon or 16 servings.
Ingredients for this delicious sweet and tangy drink are: sugar, maltodextrin, lime juice solids (lime oil), lemon juice solids (lemon oil) and orange juice solids, citric acid, and natural flavors. Only 84 calories per 4-ounce drink, with 19 grams of sugar and 6 percent carbs. Enjoy one or two, completely guilt-free.
Pros:
- Comes in a portable, resealable bag
- No measuring or blender needed
- No artificial colors, preservatives or flavors
- Vegan, gluten-free
Cons:
- High is sugar
Top Pick Best Gift Pack: Thoughtfully Gifts Skinny Margarita Set
Sometimes, it’s not all about you – you have friends and family who enjoy cocktails, especially margaritas. It may not be your thing, but it’s certainly theirs. If you’re thinking of buying something useful and special for the drinkers in your life, consider this great gift pack.
We recommend the Thoughtfully Gifts, Skinny Margarita Set, Includes 25.3 Fluid Ounces of Margarita Mix, 2 ounces Margarita Salt, Cactus Cocktail Shaker and 2 Cactus Shot Glasses (Contains No Alcohol) as the perfect gift for friends and family.
This margarita shaker kit contains a perfectly sized and stylish cactus cocktail shaker, a refreshingly tasty lime bottle of margarita mix, rimming salt, and two beautifully designed low-ball glasses. There’s everything a margarita lover needs to make a hassle-free, perfect margarita – well, except for the alcohol.
All you have to do is salt the rim, shake four ounces of mix with two shots of tequila and ice in the shaker, shake and pour. Top it all of with a slice of lime for the perfect cocktail.
The cute cactus cocktail shaker is hand-wash only, but you can pop the shot glasses into the dishwasher. This awesome gift pack has everything included, just add alcohol. Making delicious margaritas will be a breeze from start to finish! And we won’t tell anyone if you decide to get a gift pack for yourself, too.
Pros:
- Makes a nice gift
- Comes with everything you need to make margaritas (except the alcohol)
Cons:
- More expensive than a margarita mix on its own
Top Pick Best Natural Ingredients: Zing Zang Margarita Mix
You consider yourself a purist, even when it comes to a cocktail mix. A true mixologist at heart, you prefer to prepare your drinks from scratch, enjoying the process almost as much as the drink. But when it comes to hosting a big crowd of friends, it makes sense to use a mix, one that’s made from the purest of ingredients. If you are looking for a preservative-free, color-free margarita mix, then this is the product for you.
We recommend Zing Zang Margarita Mix for a smooth and delicious margarita made with fresh lime juice for a south-of-the-border taste you crave in a margarita. Ingredients include: filtered water, pure cane sugar, blue agave nectar, juice blend (water and concentrated juices of lime, key lime, grapefruit), citric acid, natural flavors and salt. With no artificial flavors or preservatives, all you get with this mix is a clean, tangy lime-flavored margarita with a touch of sweetness.
The 32-ounce bottle will go a long way at a party. Just add your favorite tequila and you’re good to go. And if there are party goers who can’t drink, you can mix with sparkling water for a deliciously cool alcohol-free mocktail.
Pros:
- All natural ingredients
- No preservatives
- Rich limey taste
Cons:
- May not be sweet enough for some tastes
Top Pick Best Sugar-Free: NoCarbarita Margarita Mix
You sure do like to party with friends and on hot summer evenings, your go-to drink is a margarita. You love making large batches of margaritas for everyone to enjoy, so you have no problem using a mix to get it done quickly and easily. That being said, lately you’ve realized many margarita mixes have lots of sugar. Not only do those calories add up, but you have friends on no-sugar diets who would like to join in the fun. Now you’re on the lookout for a margarita mix that has all the citrusy lime flavor of your favorite cocktail, without the sugar.
We recommend the NoCarbarita Margarita Mix for a no fat, no sugar, no-carb margarita that’s not too tart or too sweet. Now you and all of your friends can kick back and relax while enjoying a delicious margarita – or three – without worrying about sugar, calories or carbs.
This margarita mix is great for a backyard party or is portable so you can bring it on the boat, the cottage or to a friend’s BBQ. One tub makes one frozen pitcher or 32 ounces on the rocks. Now that’s a party pleaser for sure.
Ingredients are: citric acid, maltodextrin, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, aspartame, corn syrup solids less than 2%, lemon juice solids, natural flavors, artificial color, acesulfame potassium, tricalcium phosphate phenylketonurics: contains Phenylalanine.
Pros:
- Portable
- No sugar or carbs
- Suitable for diabetics
Cons:
- Has preservatives
Top Pick Best Original Flavor: Owl’s Brew Watermelon Margarita Cocktail Mixer
You consider yourself a bit of a mixologist; you can spend hours experimenting with different flavors to create unique and delicious cocktails. One of your favorite summer drinks is a margarita – a salted/sugar rim, a shot of tequila and plenty of fresh lime. But now you’re thinking of making large batches of margaritas and are on the lookout for something a bit different to shake up the ordinary.
For a uniquely flavored margarita mix, we recommend Owl’s Brew Watermelon Margarita Cocktail Mixer, 16 Ounce bottle. You’re sure to impress your guests with this mixer made with unique ingredients like fresh-brewed organic white tea, watermelon and pomegranate. Excellent with tequila, this blend can easily be paired with other spirits such as with gin, vodka, bourbon, wheat beer or champagne. And for those who don’t imbibe, this mixer is also great with sparkling water for a refreshing treat.
This all-natural drink mixer has no added or artificial flavors and contains 45 percent of the daily value of Vitamin C. Naturally vegan, gluten free, low calorie and low carb with 40 calories for a two-ounce serving, you can sip without the guilt! Ingredients include fresh-brewed organic tea (water, white tea, pomegranate seeds, organic lemon peel), cane sugar, watermelon juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate and malic acid.
Pros:
- All natural ingredients
- Can be used with a variety of liquor
- Has vitamin C
Cons:
- Not the traditional lime-flavored margarita mix
- After opening, refrigerate and use within two weeks.
Top Pick Best Portable: Margaritaville Singles To Go Water Drink Mix Flavored Non-Alcoholic Powder Sticks
You’re not much of a drinker but you love the lime taste of margaritas. Lately you’ve been on the lookout for a margarita mixer that tastes great with water that you can shake up in your water bottle to take on the go. And when you are in the mood for something a bit more, you’d like to be able to add a shot or two of tequila. If you’re looking for a single-serving margarita mix that is quick and convenient, then this is the product for you.
We recommend the Margaritaville Singles To Go Water Drink Mix Flavored Non-Alcoholic Powder Sticks on-the-go margarita mix. Each box contains six individualized servings of powdered drink mix.
Sugar free, caffeine free and with only five calories per serving, this quick and convenient mix is the perfect portion for an average-sized water bottle. Take a few with you wherever you go and when the urge hits, add the contents of one stick to your water bottle, shake and enjoy the refreshingly tart taste. A great non-alcoholic drink, or you can easily bring it to another level by adding a shot of your favorite brand of tequila.
Ingredients are: Citric acid, maltodextrin, salt, natural flavor, aspartame, contains 2% or less of the following: acesulfame potassium, cellulose gum, pectin, artificial color, magnesium oxide, yellow 5, Phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine.
Pros:
- Conveniently portable
- Can be enjoyed with or without alcohol added
Cons:
- Contains aspartame and color
- Pricier than other brands
Things to look out for:
Consider these things when looking for a margarita mix so you will choose the one that best suits your needs:
Ingredients
This is probably one of the most important factors to consider when looking for a margarita mix. If you’re a purist, look for a mix that only has the basic ingredients needed for a classic margarita: sugar and the juice from real lime and other citrus fruit like lemon.
Some mixtures have a lot of sugar, so if you’re off sugar, have guests who are diabetic, or just don’t want to be consuming a lot of sugar, look for a mix that has only a small amount. If you are comfortable with artificial sweeteners, many mixes are sugar and calorie-free. There are also mixes that only have organic ingredients if that’s your preference.
Finally, if you want to expand your margarita taste away from lime, other flavors such as strawberry and peach are available.
Powdered or liquid
Whether you purchase a liquid or a powdered mix is a personal preference. However, a powdered mix is easier to store and bring outside your home, like to a friend’s party or on a boat. Generally, the taste of a good powdered mix is indistinguishable from a liquid mix.
Price:
Like everything else, margarita mixes comes in a range of prices and formats, from single servings to 32 ounce bottles. Always calculate the price per serving to determine if the mix you choose is affordable for you.
Taste:
This is very subjective. Many mixes do not include alcohol, so the quality of the tequila and triple sec you use will affect the taste. Some mixes are tart, some sweeter; always check the ingredient list to determine how tangy or sweet the mix will be. It might take a few tries but eventually you will find the margarita mix that suits your taste.