Sweet & Sour Mix

Here’s a controversial one: most bartenders will tell you to skip bottled sour mix entirely and just use fresh lemon or lime juice with simple syrup. They’re right — fresh is always better. But if you’re making dozens of Whiskey Sours for a party, a homemade batch of equal parts fresh citrus juice and simple syrup saves real time. The neon-yellow store-bought stuff is full of artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup. If you must buy premade, look for brands with actual juice listed first in the ingredients.

Last modified on October 15, 2026