What Makes A Good Mixer

Gin has spent a decade demanding tonic, and all the nuances that exist within it. Rum has opinions about its cola. Whisky, somehow, got handed whatever was in the fridge.

So here's what we think a mixer owes the spirit it's poured over.

Restraint

The first job is knowing when to stop. A mixer that arrives with too much sweetness or too much flavour doesn't complement anything, it simply talks over it. Everything good about the spirit is still in the glass. You just can't hear it any more.

The right bubble

Carbonation is texture, not decoration. Too aggressive and it scrubs the flavour flat. Too soft and the drink falls slack within minutes. What you want is lift that lasts as long as the occasion does.

Balance above all

A good mixer earns its balance from the interplay between what's in it, not from a heavy hand on any one flavour. Sweetness can be the magic lift, but also an easy way to flatten a brilliant spirit. Balance, balance, balance.

Water worth drinking

Since the mixer is most of what's in the glass, its base is most of what you're tasting. That is not a place to economise.

A point of view about its partner

This one, most mixers skip. A soda made for everything is really made for nothing. Ours were blended alongside whisky and judged against whisky, which is why they behave the way they do when they meet it.

And then it should disappear

The best mixer in the world is the one nobody comments on, because everyone is too busy talking about the whisky.

That's the job. Do it well and nobody notices. Do it badly and it's all anyone tastes.

Discover and share your perfect whisky and Spey Soda pairings @speysoda.

Explore whisky your way. Life's short. Mix well.