I was recently introduced to Mixly mixers and loved their versatility, whether used as flavorful ingredients in cocktails or simply added to tonic. Their Bitter Orange Cherry Spritz Mixer was just as fun to experiment with as their Pear Honey Vanilla Lime.
Mixly’s website contains plenty of suggestions on single or batched cocktails to make with their mixers. I enjoyed 2 ounces of Mixly with plain tonic served on ice in a highball glass on days when I needed something to quench my thirst. Then, I was ready to experiment and wondered if it might make a good substitute for grenadine in some of my cocktail recipes. I flipped through the gin recipes in my Make it a Mocktail recipe deck and landed on the ingredients for the French Kiss cocktail. I modified it to include Mixly in lieu of grenadine as follows:
French Kiss (variation)
- 3 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters (note that this brand contains alcohol)
- 2 ounces Monday gin alternative
- ½ oz Mixly Bitter Orange Cherry Spritz Mixer
- ½ oz lime juice
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and top with ginger ale, pouring slowly to prevent it from foaming over. Garnish with a cherry and yum!
Other things to note: The Bitter Orange Cherry flavor is sweetened with sugar, unlike the Pear Honey Vanilla Lime, which relies on honey for its sweetness. It is suggested to store it in a cool, dry place and refrigerate after opening. Once opened, it’s ideal to use within four weeks.
This mixer makes a great, versatile addition to any home bar! I look forward to trying their other flavors. For a deeper dive into flavors, bundles, and where to buy, you can find Alysse’s post about Mixly here.
THE HAPPY TRAVELER – VINTAGE TRAVEL BARS: The Artist & Curator, Kim Parsley, lives near Seattle, Washington.
With an education in Interior Design, her career path has led her to fulfill many roles in interior architecture. Now retired, she leverages her design skills towards the curation of vintage travel bars as well as collecting and selling vintage barware.
Kim is also a contributor to multiple magazines, including The Sober Curator. She writes reviews and articles for the Happy Every Hour section, including non-alcoholic spirit reviews and recipe contributions.
When not in the studio or traveling, she and her husband spend many weekends off-the-grid hiking and experimenting with new cocktails at their cabin in the woods of the North Cascades.
HAPPY EVERY HOUR: Welcome to the hub for all things NA, featuring reviews of alcohol-free beers, ciders, wines, spirits, RTDs (ready-to-drink), NA recipes, and so much more from behind the bar. #becausedrunkneverlooksgood
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
