When I started my journey creating Tipsy Cocktail Supply, I knew two things. One was that I love to eat & drink, and the other was that I didn't know a whole lot about cocktails and how to properly make them! I was confident in the kitchen, but for some reason had never really gotten in to making drinks at home! I guess while raising kids and working and all the life stuff, it just never crossed my mind. But when I started to research business ideas and came across the wonderful small batch, craft cocktail mixers, syrups, and bitters it was like a lightbulb went off and I had to know more and try them ALL!!! 

As I began to read, research, and learn about making cocktails properly, I soon began to realize all the differences in these products and how they are used in drinks. I also thought there must be a lot of other people who also do not know a lot about this stuff. And while I am certainly not an expert, I have learned a lot, tried a lot, and taught myself how to use these products in the correct application. So let's dive in to one of the many topics surrounding making cocktails and that is the difference between syrups and mixers.

First of all lets talk about mixers. Mixers are defined as any non-alcoholic component that adds flavor, texture, and dilution to your cocktails. Mixers add flavors that are sweet, citrusy, or savory that compliment the spirit being used. For example, a limonata sparkling soda would pair well with a nice gin that had citrusy notes in it.  Another example would be a mixer such as citrus agave. This mixer compliments a good quality reposado tequila which also has agave, giving you a well rounded drink. And, say you have bourbon on hand, this would pair well with a ginger beer mixer because of the similar flavor profiles in both of these products. You get the idea.

Mixers can add both flavor and texture when you use soda water, seltzer, ginger beer, tonic water or flavored sparkling waters such as San Pellegrino limonata. These mixers add effervescence as well as flavor which changes the cocktail altogether. Soda, mineral and sparkling waters are all basically flavorless and can pair well with just about any spirit, but tonic water has a little more bitter/sweetness to it. You can also consider fruit juices and colas as mixers, adding their own flavors to balance out a drink. Regardless of which mixer you choose they all add some dilution to a cocktail, mellowing out the sometimes harsh edge of the spirit in question.

Mixers have come a long way since the days of grocery store options filled with artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. Seek out whole, natural ingredients in mixers you select and you will find the taste of your drinks will be elevated to another level. 

Some examples of classic cocktails that use mixers can include the Gin Rickey, Vodka Tonic, Paloma, Aperol Spritz, and the iconic Gin & Tonic to name a few. 

Now, let's explore the world of syrups! This is my favorite part of the blog because syrups are so fun, versatile, and inspire endless creativity when it comes to making drinks. So what are syrups? Syrups are indeed simple syrups (a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water) that have been infused with any number of botanicals, herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even chocolate! Syrups are an efficient way to add sweetness to a drink without the graininess of undissolved sugars, and the syrups combine with the other ingredients of the drink better as well. 

Syrups are used in cocktails to add sweetness and flavor and are used in small amounts but can be varied depending on personal tastes. They do not add dilution to a drink like a mixer, but syrups are all about adding flavors that like a mixer, compliment the spirit that is being used. Here again we can select a mango habanero syrup and pair it with a nice mezcal or anejo tequila, all having rich flavors with hints of smokiness that work well together. Or, you could choose a Lavender syrup to pair with a gin that has botanical notes in it.

Examples of drinks that use various simple syrups are the timeless Old Fashioned (which traditionally uses a sugar cube dissolved in aromatic bitters, but a good demerara syrup works better for incorporating ingredients), Mai tai, Mint Julep, and French 75. 

The cocktail industry has developed mixers and syrups that allow people to make drinks at home that are every bit as good as what you would pay for at a bar. And for half the price I may add. These products have also made the process easy for people without a mixologist education to make amazing drinks at home. In addition, the ingredients used in these syrups & mixers are again, natural, whole, and in most cases organic cane sugar, rather than refined white. All of these factors add up to making a great cocktail, mocktail, soda, punch, tea, hot toddy, you name it. 

So, that is the rundown on the differences between mixers and syrups. I hope this helps and I hope you will check out the selection of both items at https://tipsycocktailsupply.com/