How to Make Sweet & Sour Mix for Cocktails

Use sweet and sour mix in a tangy frozen margarita.

Sweet and sour mix combines sugar syrup and fruit juices into a liquid that’s the base for many cocktails, including the frozen margarita and the Long Island iced tea. Store-bought mix tastes flat and stale compared to the marvelous, bright flavor provided by freshly made sweet and sour mix. Keep some on hand, or whip up a big batch before your next cocktail party.

Things You'll Need

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• Large saucepan
• Citrus juicer
• Lemons to make 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• Limes to make 1 cup fresh lime juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lime
• Pitcher

Instructions

1. Combine the water and the sugar in a large saucepan.

2. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the syrup just to the boiling point, then set it aside to cool.

3. Juice the lemons and the limes to make 1 cup of each juice.

4. Zest one lemon and one lime. Make sure to take off only the yellow or the green flesh.

5. Mix the sugar syrup, juices, lemon zest and lime zest in the pitcher. Chill before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

References

• Joy of Cooking; Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker et al.