Why go to the store when you can make this amazing Homemade Sweet & Sour Mix in your own kitchen?
It’s a great temptation, isn’t it, taking the easy way out. You’re at the store, buying some dinner and maybe a snack and some ice cream. It’s been pretty hot out, after all. After grabbing a bottle of spirits, you begin looking at the mixers… Bottles of premade simple syrups and other stalwarts of the home bar are sitting on the shelf, teasing you with an easier time behind the shaker.
But tonight’s recipe should gently pull you away from the premixed aisle and over to the produce section. For it is here where our homemade sweet & sour mix journey begins. You carefully choose a fine armful of ripe and juicy limes, followed by the same amount of lemons. The citrus is the main ingredient here, of course, and now we must grab some orange juice, pulp-free too, I might add. There’s sugar at home, thankfully.
And after we return to the hearth, followed by some serious squeezing and mixing, we have a tart, sweet and tangy mixer, better than anything anyone can purchase at the store. What is now sitting in our fridge is a mouth-watering homemade sweet & sour mix, just waiting for something boozy to liven it up.
And it’s all yours, made by your hand. Cheers.
What alcohol pairs well with this recipe?
Depending on your palate and personal tastes, you can say that any liquor, when used in balanced proportions, will meld nicely with this sweet & sour mix. I find that gin, vodka, silver tequila, and white rums tend to play best with the flavors in tonight’s concoction. As they are clear, unaged spirits, with many of them already featuring some citrus infusion, they combine together beautifully. Aged alcohol, like bourbon and whiskey, can also create some classic cocktails when they’re blended with sweet and sour flavors.
What glassware is used?
I keep a handful of resealable glass bottles that I store my homemade mixtures in, like this one or simple syrup. Mason jars work well, too. Anything that you have that can be sealed and is airtight will be ideal.
Freshly squeezed or store-bought?
For the juices that are used in this recipe, this is also a matter of personal preference. Fresh lemons and limes that are squeezed is a great way to go, but can be a little time-consuming. Sometimes I’ll keep a bottle of 100% organic lemon and lime juice in my fridge for my mixed drinks, as well as for my homemade sweet & sour mix.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 6 lemons
- 2/3 cup lime juice about 12 limes
- 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2/3 cup superfine or bartenders sugar or give regular sugar a whirl in the food processor
Instructions
- If using fresh lemons and limes, squeeze them to make the required amount of juice.
- Pour the lemon and lime juice into a bowl with the fresh orange juice and whisk until combined. Add in the sugar and continue mixing until the sugar has completely dissolved. Use immediately or store in airtight glass jars or bottles in the fridge.
Nutrition
Which cocktails use sweet & sour mix?
Now that you have a lovely batch of homemade sweet & sour mix, all you need is some drinks to mix with it. Because of the amazing amount of tipples that can be whipped up using tonight’s recipe, you might find yourself with almost too many ideas or drinks to choose from. Allow Twist & Toast to make things a little easier for you by suggesting a few to start with, like these.
- Amaretto Stone Sour – Try your sweet & sour mix in this almond-tinged beverage.
- Black Superman – A powerful potion, both sweet and sour.
- Electric Lemonade – Here’s a vibrant, tart and tantalizing tipple.
- Dirty Bong Water – Looks suspect but tastes delicious, especially with a mix of lemon and lime juices.
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