12 Best Mixers to Stock Your Home Bar

When someone asks me to recommend the best mixers, my first question is, are you over 21? If no, then, I’m sorry, I can’t legally tell you what to mix with the cheap vodka you somehow got your hands on. You’re just going to have to use Crystal Light or whatever soda you have on hand like the rest of us did. If, however, you are of age and are wondering about the best mixers to make actually good cocktails with legally obtained spirits, then I can help. 

We’ve tasted a lot of juices, sodas, and straight-up cocktail mixers, but these are the absolute best. Whether you’re looking for the best grapefruit juice to mix with vodka or the best Margarita mix to make instant Margs, here are the top 12 best cocktail mixers on the market. 

Best Ginger Ale

Reed’s Real Ginger Ale

Target

Ginger ale is another go-to for cocktail newbies. It pairs well with pretty much any spirit—vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, you name it. So if you’re stocking up on the best drink mixers for a party, make sure you have ginger ale on hand. Specifically, make sure you have Reed’s Real Ginger Ale. Reed’s is known for their ginger beer, which really brings the burn. Their ginger ale is not spicy at all, but it still packs tons of real ginger flavor. 

Read the full ranking of the best ginger ale

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

7.5/10

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Best Grapefruit Juice

Uncle Matt’s Grapefruit Juice

Instacart

If you’re looking for the best juice to use as a mixer, Uncle Matt’s is a safe bet, no matter the juice. Their juices taste fresh and aren’t too sweet. The company’s grapefruit juice, for example, is good on its own, but it’s particularly good as a mixer thanks to its tempered sweetness and crisp finish. You can mix it with plain vodka or gin, but it also would work really well with flavored vodka or even flavored rum.

Read the full ranking of the best grapefruit juice

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

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Best Cranberry Juice

Simply Cranberry Cocktail

Instacart

Cranberry juice, with its vibrant tartness and tang, is one of the best alcohol mixers if you’re not a huge fan of the taste of alcohol. It dominates a drink’s flavor profile. As a fledgling dive bar barfly, I often ordered a Vodka Soda with a “splash of cran.” Even a half ounce of cranberry juice is enough to make a sh*tty dive bar cocktail taste better. And the best cranberry juice for the job is Simply. It’s not quite as sweet as some of the other cranberry juices we tried. It’s a bit more refined. So you can feel good using it in a craft cocktail—or just splashing it into a Vodka Soda. 

Read the full ranking of the best cranberry juice

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

9/10

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Best Orange Juice

Uncle Matt’s Orange Juice

Instacart

What’d I say about Uncle Matt’s? He makes good juice to mix with booze! Much like the grapefruit juice, Uncle Matt’s Orange Juice is not too sweet. In fact, it has so much acidity that it practically tastes like there’s a splash of lemon juice in the mix. That extra zing makes it one of the best alcohol mixers. There’s nothing worse than a flabby, acid-free Screwdriver. You might not want that zip when you’re drinking OJ on its own, but, trust me, you need it if you’re mixing a cocktail. 

Read the full ranking of the best orange juice

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

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Best Pineapple Juice

RW Knudsen Family Just Pineapple Juice

Instacart

If you can’t be bothered to make a real tiki drink or even buy a bottle of Pina Colada mix (more on that later), then pineapple juice is the best mixer for a bootleg tropical cocktail. And this is the best pineapple juice for the job. It’s sweet, it’s bright, and, most importantly, it’s on the thicker end of the spectrum, so it can hold up to a slug of rum. 

Read the full ranking of the best pineapple juice

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

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Best Hurricane Mix

Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane Mix

Amazon

There’s not a lot of Hurricane mix out there, but of the two brands we tried, Pat O’Brien’s was the best. It tastes like a night on Bourbon Street in the best way possible. This sweet, red, fruity mixer isn’t for everyday drinking, but if you’re planning a Mardi Gras party, it’s one of the best drink mixers to buy. 

Read the full ranking of the best Hurricane mix

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9/10

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Best Piña Colada Mix

Daily’s Piña Colada Mix

Amazon

It’s not craft. The label isn’t something you want to display on your bar. But if you’re looking for the best frozen Piña Coladas. Daily’s is one of the best cocktail mixers out there. There’s tons of coconutty flavor and actual tropical fruit zip (yes, it’s made with real juice!). On its own, it’s way too much. But blended with ice and rum this is a vacation in a glass. 

Read the full ranking of the best Piña Colada mix

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Amazon

Rating:

9/10

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Best Club Soda

Q Club Soda

Amazon

Club soda is one of the OG best alcohol mixers—and a key element of many classic vaudeville gags. But not all club soda tastes the same and the quality of the bubbles changes from brand to brand. In our club soda taste test, we found that Q Club Soda has tongue-tingling bubbles and a flavor that isn’t too acidic. It’s definitely one of the best drink mixers if you want to really taste the booze in your drink, but it’s also one of the best cocktail mixers if you’re making drinks like Mojitos or Tom Collins. 

Read the full ranking of the best club soda

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Margarita Mix

Kirkland Signature Premium Margarita Cocktail Mix

Amazon

This Costco Margarita mix is one of the best cocktail mixers to stock up on for a party. You get two giant 1.75L bottles in a pack and you’ll need every drop. Because this stuff makes good Margaritas. The lime flavor is bright and vibrant, but also perfectly sweet to keep you coming back for more. 

Read the full ranking of the best Margarita mix

Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Cola

Coca-Cola

Target

Look, I wish we had a more interesting answer, but Coca-Cola really is one of the best mixers for drinks. It’s so sweet, so fizzy, and so refreshing. And it tastes so good with whiskey or rum. Don’t mess around with any of those fancy artisanal colas, they’ll never live up to that classic Coca-Cola flavor. 

Read the full ranking of the best cola

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

10/10

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Best Bloody Mary Mix

Q Spectacular Bloody Mary Mix

Walmart

This Bloody Mary mix recently snapped up the number one spot on our best Bloody Mary mix list. It’s extremely savory and tomato-y. It’s just spiced enough. And it’s not too horseradish-y. Of course, you can mix it with vodka, but it would also be good with bourbon or mezcal for a twist on a classic Bloody. Want a savory cocktail? Q’s canned Bloody Mary mix is one of the best cocktail mixers out there. 

Read the full ranking of the best Bloody Mary mix

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Tonic Water

Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water

Amazon

Of all the best mixers for drinks, tonic water is probably the most polarizing. You either love it or you hate it. And if you love it, you need to do yourself a favor and try Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water. The addition of rosemary and lemon thyme to the classic bittersweet flavor profile makes it extremely drinkable and a wonderful complement to any gin you decide to stir into it. It also makes a Vodka Tonic a lot more interesting. 

Read the full ranking of the best tonic water

Credit: Merc / Fever-Tree

Rating:

10/10

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