AVEC Cocktail Mixers Are My Happy Hour Go-To — Whether I'm Drinking or Not
If you're looking for the perfect cocktail (and mocktail) mixers, look no further than this high-quality, better-for-you brand.
Karen Epstein
With craft cocktail culture firmly rooted in our dining and drinking ethos (does it feel like everyone is obsessed with espresso martinis lately?), you can find drinks made with fresh juices, clever flavor combinations, and gorgeous garnishes just about anywhere. But the choices for spirit-free drinks are still lagging, and the options for mixers to make cocktails at home tend to be loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients. So, what to do, if you’re sober-curious or trying to curb your consumption, but still want something delicious to imbibe? (No, lime juice and soda don’t count.)
Enter AVEC, a line of canned mixers made with real juices, natural botanicals, and spices. They’re flavor forward and perfectly balanced, taking the guesswork out of making a delicious drink, whether you mix them with spirit-free liquors or full-proof spirits. Their light effervescence makes them a pleasure to sip solo, too. Plus, they clock in at less than four grams of sugar and 20 calories per serving.
The Brooklyn-based brand was founded by business school buddies Denetrias "Dee" Charlemagne and Alex Doman, who in their own bar-going experience, saw a need for better-for-you mixers that don’t sacrifice flavor. The line-up includes Pomegranate Hibiscus and Jalapeno Blood Orange, plus three signature flavors now available in four-packs at Williams Sonoma, including Yuzu Lime, Ginger Pineapple, and Grapefruit Pomelo. The pair draw inspiration from their global travels or the challenge of reinterpreting popular mixers with higher-quality ingredients.
Avec Cocktail Mixers By Flavor
To wit, the bright-tart Hibiscus and Pomegranate makes an appealing alternative to cranberry juice but gets a warming sweetness from Ceylon cinnamon. Its dramatic crimson shade is best appreciated poured into a glass (bonus style points for a coupe). Add a splash of sparkling rosé, and you’ve got yourself a fancy low-alcohol spritzer. You’ll never think of soda and lime the same way after you sip Yuzu Lime (and we’re willing to be you won’t go back). It drinks like a dry gin and tonic, with a floral nose from fragrant lemongrass and a tart-sweet smack from yuzu, an East Asian citrus fruit. The most complex flavor profile of the bunch is the tropical-leaning Ginger Pineapple. But from the first sip, it tastes like a well-made Moscow Mule. It gets a natural tangy sweetness from pineapple that’s heightened with lime juice and agave and owes its lingering finish to all spice.
Because they’re low in sugar, the mixers are excellent sipped solo, and food-friendly to boot. I intend to stock my fridge with the refreshing Yuzu Lime to alternate with my regular lemon-lime seltzer. And I’m happy to report that it was a perfect match for seared paneer dressed in chili crunch. The Jalapeno Blood Orange is just the right side of spicy and compliments all manner of curry-based dishes.
When I’m ready to entertain a more spirit-filled existence, I’m planning to use AVEC mixers to mingle into cocktails. I’ll pair the Jalapeno Blood Orange with smoky mezcal for an inspired nightcap or stir it with tequila for a summer-ready spicy margarita. I might try the Pomegranate Hibiscus mixed with rum and a dried hibiscus garnish for a festive Valentine’s Day punch. But no matter the season, these are mixers that I look forward to drinking, whether alcohol is involved or not.
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