The Store-Bought Margarita Mix That Just Doesn't Mix Well With Tequila

Mexican cuisine has bestowed many gifts on the rest of the world, especially in the realm of spirits and cocktails. Tequila is arguably the most famous agave spirit, making margaritas the most famous tequila cocktail. Margaritas are a classic cocktail with a few, simple ingredients that are easy to craft with these helpful tips. But, sometimes you just want to take the grunt work out of the equation, especially if you're making margaritas for a crowd. So, we sampled numerous store-bought margarita mixes to find which brand's mix is as tasty as it is convenient.

We based our ranking of margarita mixes on different aspects of flavor, like complexity, sweetness, and how the mix pairs with tequila. Unfortunately, Stirrings Simple margarita mix didn't offer any of the attributes we were looking for. Health-conscious drinkers might like Stirrings Simple margarita mix because it's a low-calorie, low-sugar mix compared to competitors. While a muted sweetness is a plus in our eyes, Stirrings Simple margarita mix has a muted flavor overall. Where our top choices offered a complex profile of zesty citrusy notes, agave sweetness, and a bitter vegetal element, Stirrings Simple margarita mix just tasted like watered-down limeade. The flavor was much too weak to stand up to the peppery, agave-forward taste of the blanco tequila we used to mix our margarita cocktails.

We chose to sample each margarita mix with a shot of blanco tequila stirred in because blanco is the go-to tequila varietal for margaritas and cocktails in general. We also think it's the best type of tequila for beginners because it's not aged and thus offers a simpler and purer taste of agave with that spicy alcoholic finish that a sweet and sour cocktail will help temper. Plus, it's the cheapest option out of the three main types of tequila: blanco, reposado, and anejo. We rely on the complexity of mixers, whether it's with an extra dose of citrus in this orange-centric golden margarita, sweet tropical mangoes in this frozen mango margarita, or just a hefty dose of lime juice and agave nectar in a classic margarita.

However, if you're going to use Stirrings Simple margarita mix, you might need to take the opposite approach; a simple, light flavor profile needs a complex tequila pairing. Reposado and anejo tequila are aged, with much more depth of flavor as well as a smoother, smokier finish. We've got a long list of delicious tequila brands to choose from for a richer, more complex range of tasting notes to pair with Stirrings Simple margarita mix. Mezcal is another great blanco tequila swap if you want an extra smoky mezcalita.