W&P Design Cocktail Mixes Review

We put 5 different cocktail mixes to the (taste) test

Written by Hana Brannigan

If you haven’t heard of our subscription box yet (enter shameless plug here), then let us give you a little context: Guapbox is our monthly subscription box that comes with 3-4 accessories that are hand-picked based on a style quiz that you take. We also have a couple bonus items that we throw in there based on your hobbies and interests.

We take pride in saying our box is the best on the market for men’s fashion. But if we’re making such a bold claim, then we need to make sure our bonus items are up to par, too.

But anyway, this isn’t an ad for Guapbox — this is meant to be an honest review of some cocktail mixes from W&P Design.  So, we made some cocktails out of these mixes and tried them to give you a review.

Cocktail Mixes

All of these mixes have the traditional ingredients to make the simplest version of each cocktail. This is handy because that means making these mixes is very straightforward — just combine the liquor, mix, ice, and you’re done.

Here is our review of each mix, and as a little bonus, we decided to throw in our favorite recipe.  Needless to say, we had a little fun with coming up with some variations of each concoction. Enjoy!

Moscow Mule Mix

The Moscow Mule mix was refreshing, but the slight spiciness from the ginger extract added another dimension. The syrup wasn’t overly sweet either, so when combined with the ginger beer, it didn’t feel like you were just drinking a sugary soda.

There is so much opportunity to get creative with such a simple base. So while everyone knows the classic recipe of vodka and ginger beer, try adding some sprigs of dill for a fresh twist.

Our recipe: Mix ½ oz. of this syrup, 2-3 lime wedges, 1.5 oz vodka, ginger beer to top it off, and a few sprigs of fresh dill. Mix it over ice.

Old Fashioned Mix

Admittedly, Old Fashions can be quite difficult to drink if not made with the perfect ratio of ingredients, but this syrup did all the guesswork for you. The syrup made the drink a bit sweeter than a traditional Old Fashioned, but it still retained its strong sophisticated flavor.

If you really want to kick it up a notch and make something unique, consider making it with mezcal to add a smoky dimension.

Our recipe: Mix ½ oz of this syrup, ½ oz of mezcal, and 1.5 oz of tequila. Mix over ice.

Spicy Margarita

Although we were warned from the label that it’s a spicy margarita, we were still surprised by the powerful kick. If you don’t like spicy foods, then proceed with caution. It was a bit tangy from the orange extract, though, so the spice isn’t all that overwhelming. It was my personal favorite of the three.

But since we’re spice freaks over here (so maybe take our review with a grain of salt), we had to add more jalapeno when tasting this mix.

Our recipe: Mix ½ oz of syrup, 1.5 oz of tequila, a couple slices of jalapeno. Mix over ice.

Spritzers

If you’re more into wines and champagnes than cocktails, spritzers are the way to go. Meaning sparkling in Italian, you can already guess that these mixes are meant for sparkling drinks.

And no, that’s not too girly. It’s 2018 already — sip that sparkling rosé with confidence.

Italian Spritz

If you like your wines on the sweeter side, the Italian Spritz is the mix for you. While I’m not a huge fan of sweet wines, the slight bitterness from the grapefruit extract really balanced out the mix so that the syrup didn’t taste like straight up sugar.

Our recipe: Mix 1/2 oz. syrup, 4 oz champagne or sparkling wine, orange wedges, and mint.

Elderflower Spritz

The Elderflower Spritz is nice for those who aren’t into sweet drinks. It has a pleasant mild floral taste. It was a very unique taste and requires just slightly sophisticated taste buds. So, if you’re still on the add-colorful-syrups-and-all-the-fruit-juices train, consider saving this for the future.

Our recipe: Mix 1/2 oz. syrup, 4 oz champagne or sparkling wine, lemon, and mint.

Bottoms Up, Guesswork Down

So there you have our honest review. We totally did not just make a bunch of cocktails and handed it around the office for people to try. Well, okay, we did do that, but it for the sake of writing this review.

Ultimately, we were fans of these mixes and they are definitely convenient when you don’t want to think about the ratios of each ingredient when making a mixed drink.

Let us know your favorite cocktail in the comments below.

Hana Brannigan

SOURCE: THE GENTLEMANUAL