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Level up your craft cocktail game with this homemade sweet and sour mix. This easy lemon-lime flavor bomb is perfect for so many classic cocktails and drinks. Whether you are working on your perfect margarita, a whisky sour, or just want a fresh DIY sour mix, this drink mixer is for you!
🍹 What makes this recipe special?
Who doesn’t like fresh ingredients? This recipe is easy, quick, and helps you make a quality sweet and sour drink mix for any number of classic cocktails. Use it in an Amaretto Sour, Tom Collins, or as an easy mixer for tequila, vodka, whiskey, or rum.
Vodka, sweet and sour mix, and a splash of soda water make a great simple cocktail, but the combinations are endless. One thing that is great about this is that you can prepare it beforehand and keep it in the fridge for when you want your next drink.
I made this specifically for my Appletini Cocktail, but it can be used for so much more. While I tend to use fresh lime juice for my classic margarita recipe, you could definitely use this as a mix to make it quicker.
🍋 Ingredients
The ingredients for this DIY cocktail mix are straightforward. It starts with a simple syrup, then fresh lemon and lime juice are added.
- Sugar
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Lime juice
Individual lemons and limes vary in how much juice they yield, so you may need to adjust the number of fruits needed. Bagged lemons and limes can be economical, but choose fresh, juicy fruit for the best results.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍲 Instructions
This is as easy as heating the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then, add the lemon juice and lime juice.
Transfer the sweet and sour mix to a bottle or mason jar and refrigerate it for up to one month. When you serve it, give it a quick shake before using.
🤷 Substitutions and variations
You can change this up however you like.
- Lemons – If you like more lemon flavor, add more lemons. For less lemon flavor, reduce the lemon juice and replace it with additional lime juice.
- Lime – Adjust the amount of lime juice to make the mix more or less lime-forward.
- Other citrus – I have not experimented with this specific recipe, but I imagine you could use almost any citrus juice in a recipe like this if you wanted to get creative.
- Sweetener – Maybe try honey for a unique flavor. Honey can replace some or all of the sugar, but adjust the amount to taste because it changes both the sweetness and flavor.
- Herbs – Maybe add some fresh rosemary or thyme to mix it up.
📦 Storage
Store the homemade sour mix in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it within one month.
❓ FAQ
Sweet and sour mix contains sugar, water, lemon, and lime. It makes a yellow-green mixture that is perfect for drinks.
Sweet and sour drink mix is generally used for cocktails but can be used for any beverage enhancer.
There is generally no difference. The terms ‘sweet and sour mix’ and ‘sour mix’ are commonly used interchangeably.
Check the package if you purchased prepared sweet and sour mix. The fresh mix can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one month. Discard it if you notice mold, off odors, or other signs of spoilage.
No. Sweet and sour cocktail mix contains simple syrup. Once lemon and lime juices are added to simple syrup, it becomes sweet and sour mix.
📝 Tips and tricks
- While you can juice by hand, purchasing a hand juicer makes this so much easier.
- This recipe can be halved or doubled very easily!
🛠 Products used in this recipe
😋 Did you make this recipe?
Awesome! I am so happy you gave it a try. It would really be awesome if you could spend a few minutes and let me know how it went in the comments section below. Most of all, I really appreciate you visiting Ramshackle Pantry!
Homemade Sweet and Sour Mix
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 ounces 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fresh lemon and lime juices combine with simple syrup to make an easy homemade sweet and sour mix for cocktails, mocktails, and other drinks.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 4 lemons)
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice (approximately 6 limes)
Instructions
- Add the water and sugar to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over the saucepan and squeeze the lemons and limes through it into the syrup.
- Stir until everything is well combined.
- Allow the mixture to cool, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to one month.
Notes
- A hand juicer makes squeezing the citrus much easier.
- Shake the mix before using.
- The recipe can be halved or doubled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ounce
Short to the point and accurate. Just what i was looking for. I very rarely leave a comment however, i want to sincerely thank you your recipe was perfect. You even include if you want to make a little or alot. Lol thank you i wish other recipes were not such a pain in my…. Thank you again.***** in a 2 star world.
Thank you so much!
I was getting tired of spending way too much money on store-bought sweet & sour for our cocktails, so I looked for a recipe to make it. This one is by far the best one out there for a fresh taste!
Hey, thanks so much for giving it a try and glad you liked it!