A lot of people seem to wonder if the margarita mix contains alcohol. If you are one of those people, I will give you the answer and also clear up some confusion!
In general, a margarita mix will not contain alcohol. It is meant to be mixed with tequila, as a fast solution drink. However, it is often being confused with the pre-made margarita, also known as a Ready-to-Drink margarita, which contains alcohol.
If you want to know more about the pre-made margaritas, what the margarita mix is made of, and which type’s to buy, read on!
How Much Alcohol Is In a Margarita Mix?
As mentioned before it’s not the normal type of margarita mix that contains alcohol. It’s the pre-made margarita, but let’s check how much alcohol these contain.
A margarita mix does not contain alcohol, as it is meant to be mixed with tequila. However, it is often confused with the pre-made margarita which on average contains 10% ABV. Although, they tend to range from 5-15% ABV.
Most of the pre-made margaritas you’ll find in the store is often in the range of 8-12%, but there are endless variants of this drink. So I would recommend just checking the labels…
Anyways! If you make your own margarita mix, you could add some kind of liqueur to it, and voila! It’s alcohol in it. So what we’re talking about here, are the store-bought ones. Margarita mixes are really easy to make as well (and I mean REALLY easy) if you’re looking to spare some money.
In this next section, I’ll show you what they’re made of, and the ingredients you need to make a quick and simple one!
What Is Margarita Mix Made of?
There are a BUNCH of different margarita mix variants on the market. Which I guess you already know… While they are different, they use mostly the same ingredients, just different combinations, and proportions. So let’s check what they are made of!
The main ingredients in a margarita mix are lime juice, orange juice, and agave syrup. It should only have to be mixed with tequila, as the ingredients’ purpose is to replace the normal ingredients in a margarita. Proportions and what it’s made of vary, depending on type and brand.
When you are looking for what margarita mix to buy, or what ingredients to use when making it, there are some factors to consider. If you want to get the most authentic experience, knowing which ingredients and proportions to look for is crucial.
If you’re going to make your own margarita mix, this is even more important. So let me give you a quick introduction to the world of margarita.
A classic margarita, which is the most common one is made of tequila, triple sec (orange liqueur), and lime juice (also some salt and lime to rim the glass). These ingredients are not random, and neither is the amount of each.
The margarita, especially the classic margarita, follows the cocktail ratio to what’s known as a sour cocktail. The ratio is about 2-1-1, it’s not always spot-on perfect, but it is a really good guideline.
How does it work? So the sour cocktail consists of a base liquor (not to be confused with liqueur!), a sweet part, and a sour part.
In our case, with the margarita, it will look like this:
- Base: Tequila.
- Sweet: Triple sec (orange liqueur).
- Sour: Lime juice.
How does this apply to the margarita mix? As mentioned earlier the purpose of the margarita mix is to replace the ingredients normally used to make a margarita. Therefore, it’s important that also the margarita mix you pick from the store shelf also is in line with this golden rule! (or if you’re going to make it yourself).
Simple as that, by just memorizing this ratio, and have a basic understanding of the ingredients, you can always pick a good margarita mix.
The Basics of Margarita Ingredients
Congratulations! This is the last thing you need to know, in order to pick the best margarita mix!
I’ll keep it short.
The tequila is what the whole margarita is built upon. This is our base, which is not included in the margarita mix… This is the only thing you’ll need to add. I recommend looking for a tequila that’s 100% agave, but this is up to you. If you’re interested in learning more about the world of tequila, click here.
The sweet part normally comes from the orange liqueur, but since the margarita mix is alcohol-free, this is not the case. Therefore it has to be replaced. A good option is to look for agave syrup (often called agave nectar).
The sour part of the ingredient to look for is lime juice! It’s also a big plus if the label mentions something about the orange liqueur (triple sec). If not you’ll find more information about it on amazon and such. (Triple sec is normally the sweet part. But here we just want the orange oils for taste).
Best Store-Bought Margarita Mix
Withco’s Agave Margarita
I’ll just go straight to the case. I’ve read reviews and tested a bunch of margaritas mixed, but none quite compare to this one. Withco has truly obtained drink mastery with this one! This margarita mix is made with zero preservatives, which is just insane.
It ticks off all the boxes we have been through and is truly close to a genuine margarita.
Sweet part: Agave nectar- Check!
Sour part: Lime- Check! Orange oil- Check!
Other ingredients: Water. That’s it.
If you’re going to get a margarita mix, this is the one we recommend! Here is a link to it at Amazon (we’ll get a small commission if you decide to get it).
Tres Agaves Mix Margarita
What I love about Tres Agaves, is that they don’t want to hide the tequila taste, as a lot of the margarita mixes out there do. Rather their goal is to enhance it, which is exactly the point of the margarita. The ingredients in a classic margarita are truly there to enhance the tequila. 1 point to Tres Agaves!
Sweet part: Agave nectar- Check!
Sour part: Lime- Check! Orange oil- Missing…
Other ingredients: Water, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
This one is also really great, and one of the best we’ve tried. Now, I can’t say which one you’ll like the best, but choose one of these and you’ll start with a great one! Here is a link for it at Amazon (affiliate link).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix have alcohol in it?
Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix does not contain alcohol. However, it is often confused with the Jose Cuervo Ready-To-Drink Margarita which is a complete margarita with 9,95% ABV.
