“I knew I could put something in a bottle that’s going to help people make a great drink in 10 seconds,” says bartender Tim Williams of his new line of cocktail mixers. Mission accomplished: These handcrafted concoctions, sold through Pour Souls, the bar-consulting company he runs with the help of Danielle Lewis, are made with fresh juices and ingredients that are locally sourced whenever possible. The best part: After years of being asked by finicky bargoers to swap one booze for another, Williams, who used to manage the bar at Blind Barber, developed mixers that work with more than one kind of spirit.
Take the Paloma-inspired Pink Pigeon, made with agave syrup and grapefruit and lime juices. Adding tequila or mezcal keeps it classic, but if you go with vodka or gin, you’ll end up with a citrus-bright drink that’s just as good. Or consider the Fancy Fu*kin Mule, a Moscow mule riff made with apricot juice, vanilla, and ginger: Vodka, the traditional choice, works just fine, but the mixer is robust enough to stand up to gin or bourbon. Same for the five-spice old-fashioned, which is bolstered with coffee and brown sugar.
Each $15 bottle (they can be ordered at pour-souls-llc.square.site) contains enough mixer for eight drinks and can be made into a highball by adding sparkling water or a toddy by using hot water. “People can use the starters as they see fit,” Williams says. “They’re extremely user friendly.” What better way to make the most of your booze until we’re all toasting in bars again?
