Premium Mixers

Interest in bubbles has exploded over the past 12 months, and for once we are not talking Champagne. Australian drinkers have embraced the highball and spritzers, and with it an appetite for premium, high quality mixers.

Australians are drinking less. The downward trend has been apparent over the last decade, but interest in drinking better has taken off. If you’re reading this, then you are most likely a part of this very movement; keen to learn more about the whiskies on offer, the stories behind the drink you love and the people that make it. But not every occasion is about sipping whisky, served neat or with a touch of water. Whisky goes exceptionally well in classic cocktails like highballs and spritzers (plenty of ideas and recipes on page 200 onwards).

If it’s a simple mixed drink you’re after, and you want to do your whisky proud, then look to pair it with a mixer that’s not going to unbalance or dominate your carefully crafted dram with a sugary or cloying sweetness. The carbonation is important too. Overly gassy waters and tonics can dominate the drink, while equally well balanced bubbles carry the natural flavours to the palate.

The mixer will typically make up ¾ of your drink, so we suggest you choose wisely. Fortunately, there are a number of options out there for the avid mixer, and we are light years ahead of what was on offer 10 years ago. 200ml bottles of premium mixers now feature in most bottle shop fridges, offering you a range of options in tonics, soda waters, ginger beer and lemonades.

Fever-Tree is a brand that pioneered the movement towards premium mixers here in Australia, and is well-established on shelves and behind bars around the country. Their use of quality ingredients has set Fever-Tree as the benchmark for others to follow. The quinine, used in the tonic waters and bitter lemon, comes from the original Cinchona trees (colloquially known as ‘fever trees’) from the last remaining plantation in war-torn Congo; fresh green ginger comes from the turbulent Ivory Coast and is blended with a chocolatey ginger from Cochin in the south of India; and ginger from Nigeria makes Fever-Tree Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer. Lemon thyme and rosemary from Provence are infused with lemons from Sicily to make their Mediterranean Tonic Water, the first tonic water created to complement vodka. Natural sugars such as cane sugar and fruit sugar have replaced sweeteners and HFCS to create drinks that will complement and enhance premium spirits.

After all, if ¾ of your drink is a mixer, make sure you use the best!

FLAVOUR PROFILE

PREMIUM INDIAN TONIC WATER: A blend of subtle botanical flavours, such as hand-pressed bitter orange oil from Tanzania, mixed with spring water and the highest quality quinine. Try it out in a classic G&T and see if you notice the difference.

MEDITERRANEAN TONIC WATER: Made by blending essential oils from flowers, fruits and herbs, to create a delicate and floral tonic. Perfect with a smooth vodka or light gin, it can also be enjoyed as a sophisticated ‘adult’ soft drink.

GINGER ALE: Three natural gingers, subtle botanical flavours and natural spring water are blended to create a refreshing ginger drink with an authentic taste and aroma. Perfect to balance and enhance the flavours of whisky, bourbon and rum. GINGER BEER: Naturally brewed with authentic ginger and spring water, Fever-Tree Ginger Beer offers a deep, long-lasting ginger character that is not too sweet on the palate. Try it in a classic Dark & Stormy, Moscow Mule, non-alcoholic Gunner, or simply on its own.

PREMIUM LEMONADE: A blend of real lemons, spring water and ’sfumatrice’ extracts from Sicilian lemons, Fever-Tree Premium Lemonade contains no artifcial preservatives or sweeteners. Perfect in a refreshing vodka & lemonade.

SODA WATER: Fever-Tree used soft spring water to create a premium mixer with just the right amount of carbonation. Fever-Tree Soda Water’s versatility allows it to mix well with just about anything in your bar. Try with whisky or bourbon, or any of your favourite spirits or liqueurs.