Homemade Sweet and Sour Mix is an easy and versatile lemon-lime mixer. It is delicious in cocktails, green tea shots, or margarita pitchers with friends. Our sour mix takes just a few minutes to make and is much tastier than store bought mix.
We were recently shopping for sour mix and noticed how unnaturally green and processed all of the options were. When we researched the ingredients, we realized we could just make lemon-lime mix at home, so we did just that. Not only is our homemade sour mix easy, it is also preservative and food coloring-free.
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About Sour mix
- Taste - This easy mixer tastes like extra sweet limeade or lemonade.
- Texture - A thick liquid that is meant to be diluted in drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
- Effort - You just need basic cooking skills to make the simple syrup and after that all you need to do is assemble the ingredients.
- Time - It takes just a few minutes to make so it is easily worthwhile if you are making drinks at home or just want to save sour mix for your next occasion.
Ingredients
- Fresh lemon juice - We juice fresh lemons for the highest quality lemon flavor. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds both tartness and sweetness to the mix.
- Fresh lime juice - We also like to juice fresh limes. Limes add a tart and slightly bitter citrus flavor.
- Simple Syrup (water and sugar) - Simple syrup is created by dissolving granulated sugar in water. It adds sweetness to the margarita mix.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Make simple syrup - pour water and sugar into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer. Occasionally stir to dissolve the sugar. Once sugar is dissolved, pour the simple syrup into a glass jar to cool.
- Add lemon and lime juice - Once the simple syrup cools, add in lemon lime juice and give it a good stir or shake.
Hint: to easily squeeze your own lemon and lime juice, use a handheld citrus press. This tool makes it easy to squeeze all of the juice of a lemon or lime. Plus, you can use it for all types of recipes that call for lemon and lime.
How to Use Sour Mix
You can add this citrus mix to a bunch of drinks to add sweetness. Here are some of our favorite cocktail recipes with our mixer:
- Whiskey Sour
- Margaritas
- Green Tea Shots
- Amaretto Sour
- Midori Sour
- Gin Sour
FAQ
No, it is meant to mixed with spirits like whiskey, tequila, or rum.
There is no difference, they are all the same!
No, this homemade recipe is gluten free. Even most store bought sour mixes are gluten free, but be sure to check the ingredients if you use store bought.
If you are missing ingredients or don't feel like using sour mix, you can replace it with limeade, lemonade, or lemon-lime soda.
Sours are cocktails containing a base liquor, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener. In other words, sours are alcoholic beverages that use sour mix.
Substitutions
- Lime and Lemon Juice - If you don't have a hand citrus juicer or just don't feel like buying and juicing limes or lemons, you can buy fresh lime or lemon juice instead.
- Grapefruit Juice - You can replace lime or lemon juice with grapefruit juice if you prefer the flavor. You can also reduce the amount of either lemon or lime juice and replace it with grapefruit juice.
Variations
- Juice - You can experiment with adding or subtracting lemon or lime juice to make the sour mix more lemon or lime flavored.
- Less sugar - You can use a little less sugar to make the mix less sweet.
Equipment
This sweet and sour lemon-lime mix requires just a few common kitchen essentials. You will need measuring spoons, a hand citrus juicer for easy juicing, a skillet or non-stick pan to make the simple syrup, and a lidded jar or cocktail shaker to shake the ingredients.
Storage
Store this homemade sour mix in the refrigerator in an airtight glass bottle or lidded jar for up to 3 weeks. You can also freeze lemon-lime mix for up to 1 month. When you are ready to use it again, let it thaw to its liquid state before using it.
Top tip
If you are making a cold drink with sweet and sour mix, chill your glasses in the fridge ahead of time. This will ensure your drinks stay cold and fresh longer.
Did You Like This Recipe?
If you loved this mixer recipe, please rate and comment below! For more mixed drink and cocktail recipes, check out:
Homemade Sweet and Sour Drink Mix
Equipment
- 1 Skillet or non-stick pan
- 1 Lidded jar or cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup lime juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Make simple syrup - pour water and sugar into a saucepan and simmer on medium heat. Occasionally stir to dissolve the sugar. Once sugar is dissolved, pour the simple syrup into a glass jar to cool.
- Add lemon and lime juice - Once the simple syrup cools, add in lemon and lime juice and give it a good stir or shake.
Notes
Storage
Store this homemade sour mix in the refrigerator in an airtight glass bottle or lidded jar for up to 3 weeks. You can also freeze sour mix for up to 1 month. When you are ready to use it again, let it thaw to its liquid state before using it.Top tip
- If you are making a cold drink with sweet and sour mix, chill your glasses in the fridge ahead of time. This will ensure your drinks stay cold and fresh longer.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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