The Best Housemade Sour Mix Recipe

[wigs21]

I can't find any other topic on this, but I would love a great recipe for a housemade sour mix. All the sour mix on the market is so syrupy and synthetic and I'd like to make the switch to something we make in house.

Any good recipes out there?

Thanks

[plattetude]

Fresh squeezed lemon. Simple syrup to taste.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Christopher

[slkinsey]

What Christopher said.

For home use, there is really no need to have a "sour mix." It's always preferable to make it up on a per-drink basis. A good rule of thumb is equal parts fresh sour citrus juice (lemon, lime or both) and 1:1 simple syrup. After a while you will figure out for yourself whether this formula is too sweet or too sour for your taste, and can adjust the ratios accordingly. Ultimately you're going for something that won't make your mouth pucker, but doesn't seem sweet either. That's balance.

So, for example, if you like a drink for a Whisky Sour that calls for 1.5 ounces of whiskey and 0.5 ounces of sour mix, you could make a similar-but-better tasting drink substituting 1/4 ounce each of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup for the sour mix. (Ultimately I'd argue for a much more sour drink, but this is only an example.)

The only time it makes sense to "home make" sour mix is for commercial establishments (or big home parties) were you know you're going to be going through a lot of it in a day. Fresh citrus juice just isn't the same after spending overnight in the refrigerator.

[kvltrede]

Robert Hess (aka DrinkBoy) did a fine job answering this question at the new online food mag, Saucy. Robert's answer isn't much different from Christopher's or Sam's but you might like the additional detail, the digression on Rose's lime juice and the fine Margarita recipe he provides.

Kurt