The Best Margarita Mix You Can Buy, Whether You Like ’Em Spicy, Frozen or Fruity

Best overall

• Value: 19/20
• Quality: 20/20
• Functionality: 20/20
• Ingredients: 20/20
• Taste: 19/20

TOTAL: 98/100

It’s delicious. It’s authentic. It’s unlike any margarita mix you’ve ever tried. Serve it on the rocks, serve it frozen—Mary’s Margarita Mix refuses to quit. Consisting of 78 percent juice, this dreamy elixir calls on four different fruit juice concentrates to create a one-of-a-kind mélange of citrus splendor. “Lime for a base, naturally, key lime for floral notes, tangerine to curb the tartness of the lime and lastly, calamansi for pucker,” explains founder Greg Dorros. (Calamansi is a sour citrus fruit that’s commonly found in the Philippines—where Dorros grew up—as well as in other parts of Southeast Asia.)

The best way we can describe this mix is Margarita 2.0: it honors the O.G. while also reinventing (and dare we say surpassing) its flavor altogether in a subtle, nearly inexplicable way. The mixer is free of artificial ingredients and preservatives, plus can be used with tequila, vodka, rum, mezcal and even Champagne (we’d even try it with whiskey, since it’s essentially a next-level sour mix). If we really force ourselves to find a downside, its perhaps a bit pricier than some other mixers, at about $1.63 per serving. But believe us when we say it’s worth every darn penny.

Pros:

• Quality ingredients
• Uniquely delicious flavor
• Less added sugar than other margarita mixers
• Can be used with multiple spirits and for frozen margaritas

Cons:

• Higher price than some other brands

Best classic margarita mix

• Value: 18/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Functionality: 17/20
• Ingredients: 18/20
• Taste: 19/20

TOTAL: 91/100

If you trim the fat, all you want in a margarita is the bright flavor of punchy, tart lime juice, slightly softened by just the right amount of sweetness. Hella checks all the boxes with its simple, no-frills mixer. It’s made with cane sugar, lime juice concentrate and sea salt, so prepare yourself for a zap of sour, salty bliss in every sip. Despite the additions of citric acid and “lime flavor,” it tastes impressively close to a margarita we’d make at home ourselves.

Pros:

• Authentic lime taste; great balance of sour and bitter
• Non-GMO verified

Cons:

• Might be almost too sour for some

Best spicy margarita mix

• Value: 17/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Ingredients: 20/20
• Taste: 18/20

TOTAL: 91/100

Owl’s Brew is a woman-owned business founded by two tea experts, so it’s no surprise that their cocktail mixers are made with real brewed tea and botanicals. We were seriously impressed by their Wicked Margarita mixer, a blend of organic green tea, lemon and lime juice concentrates, cane sugar and fresh habanero juice. It packs a substantial punch of peppery heat and has a juicy, citrusy backbone. It’s also designed to pair with vodka, mezcal and plain ol’ seltzer, so there are endless ways to utilize it.

Pros:

• No fake flavors or ingredients
• Lower sugar and calorie content compared to some other brands (35 calories and 8g sugar per two-ounce serving)
• Complements a variety of spirits

Cons:

• Could be more lime-y

Best low-calorie margarita mix

• Value: 19/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Ingredients: 19/20
• Taste: 17/20

TOTAL: 91/100

Cocktail mixers are often full of sugar, so it’s easy to rack up the calories with just a couple of drinks. Luckily, there are some mixes out there that taste on point despite their lower calorie and sugar content. Case in point: Ficks Premium Margarita Mix. At only 35 calories per three-ounce serving, one cocktail made with 1½ ounces of tequila clocks in at about 135 calories. Ficks sweetens its mix with both sugar and sugar substitutes: Think real lime juice, agave syrup, cane sugar, lemon juice and stevia extract. Its citrus-forward flavor really lets the tequila shine. There are definitely better-for-you mixers out there with less sugar, but we think this low-cal alternative delivers the best of both worlds.

Pros:

• Lower in calories and sugar without sacrificing taste
• Simple ingredients and classic flavor

Cons:

• Higher sugar content than other skinny mixes

Best organic margarita mix

• Value: 18/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Functionality: 17/20
• Ingredients: 20/20
• Taste: 18/20

TOTAL: 91/100

So many margarita mixes on the market are made with freaky ingredients instead of real lime juice. One made with high-quality ingredients guarantees that your cheater’s margaritas will actually taste like…well, margaritas. Agalima’s label claims that the mix is modeled after real-deal margs, and the ingredients deliver. We’re talking organic agave syrup made from Jalisco-grown blue agave, organic lime juice, organic cane sugar and a dash of sea salt. It’s super citrusy and sour with a mildly bitter aftertaste that echoes the fresh-squeezed flavor of lime juice and zest.

Pros:

• Organic, premium ingredients; higher juice content than some other brands
• Authentic lime flavor

Cons:

• High sugar content
• Pronounced bitter aftertaste

Best value

• Value: 20/20
• Quality: 16/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Ingredients: 16/20
• Taste: 17/20

TOTAL: 87/100

It may not be the most authentic blend of ingredients, but it sure is one hell of a bargain. If you buy a six-pack of Mr & Mrs T’s original margarita mix, it’ll only cost you about 7 cents an ounce. Even though it contains no real lime juice (instead, citric acid gives it its tart flavor), a value brand like this can come in handy when you’re making margaritas in bulk, especially frozen ones. And TBH, it’s nowhere near as unpleasant as some neon green mixers you might’ve tried in the past. In fact, it has a solid balance of sour and sweet and is super refreshing.

Pros:

• Most affordable pick on our list
• Tastes better than other value brands

Cons:

• Doesn’t contain lime juice
• Contains artificial ingredients and sulfites

Best for frozen margaritas

• Value: 18/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Ingredients: 18/20
• Taste: 18/20

TOTAL: 90/100

Frozen cocktails are an animal all their own, and Kelvin Slush Co. has them all figured out. This mix is specially designed to be blended or put through a slush machine, so it’s thicker and requires dilution (hence the first ingredient on the label, organic cane sugar). The mixer is sweetened with both agave nectar and sugar, which balance the acidity of the organic lime juice concentrate and citric acid. The agave makes it taste more authentic overall, but the mix’s lime flavor is what sold us—it seriously rivals fresh-squeezed citrus. The mix is also free of artificial colors and corn syrup.

Pros:

• Value size makes it great for big-batch drinks
• Organic ingredients and GMO-free
• Beautiful lime scent and flavor

Cons:

• Requires a bit more work than just adding tequila
• High sugar content
• Can’t be used as easily for margaritas on the rocks

Best fruity margarita mix

• Value: 19/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Ingredients: 18/20
• Taste: 19/20

TOTAL: 92/100

We’re suckers for a fruity margarita that leans sweet instead of sour. Strawberry, peach, guava—we’re not picky. But making one of these at home usually involves a lot of fruit and work, so it never hurts to have a delicious cheat in your back pocket. Behold: Zing Zang’s brand-new mango iteration. It’s a tropical blend of lime juice, key lime juice and mango purée concentrates, cane sugar, blue agave nectar, salt and natural flavors. It’s sweet, juicy and mango-forward at first, but finishes on a citrusy high note. It’ll be available for purchase online at Walmart soon; keep an eye out for it at your local store starting in May.

Pros:

• All-natural ingredients
• No high fructose corn syrup, preservatives or artificial dyes

Cons:

• High sugar content
• Could be more citrusy

Best ready-to-serve margarita

• Value: 18/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Functionality: 20/20
• Ingredients: 19/20
• Taste: 19/20

TOTAL: 94/100

We know what you’re thinking: There’s no way a premade cocktail can come close to the real thing. Let DRNXMYTH prove you wrong in the tastiest way possible. This ready-to-drink libation is made with blanco tequila, house-made orange liqueur, fresh lime juice, organic agave syrup and salt drops (aka salt that’s diluted into the water, so you get just the right amount in every sip). It’s equal parts sour and sweet with boozy warmth at the end (thanks, tequila), and comes in a super cool bottle that’s split into two chambers: one with alcohol, one without. Once you twist and shake, all the ingredients are mixed and ready to drink. Down the hatch, amigas.

Pros:

• Requires no extra ingredients or work
• Portable and easy to store

Cons:

• Pricier than making a margarita from scratch