Recipes, tips and ideas from some of the world's best bartenders and your neighbor down the street. Coming soon at blendslab.com. Then come back here for the basics.
See Our RecipesStoring your mix
- Store bottles in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
- Use the oldest best-by date first.
- Every bottle carries a 12-month best-by date. Sealed, it easily holds up to 18 months because it is aseptically packed.
- Opened bottles: with a pump on it or the cap back on, the bottle can stay on the counter. No refrigeration needed through its best-by date.
- Mixed batches: once you mix it with water, refrigerate the batch and use it within about 2 weeks.
Mixing ratios and yields
Most flavors mix 4 to 1. Margarita and the aguas frescas mix 7 to 1.
| Flavor | Ratio (mix : water) | Build | Makes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most flavors | 4 : 1 | 64 oz bottle + 2 gal water | 2 1/2 gal, about 40 eight-ounce drinks |
| Margarita, Horchata, Jamaica, Tamarind | 7 : 1 | 64 oz bottle + 3 1/2 gal water | 4 gal, about 64 eight-ounce drinks |
| Texas Sweet Tea (1 gal jug) | 11 : 1 | 32 oz + 2 3/4 gal water | 3 gal (the full jug makes 12 gal) |
- Shake the bottle before pouring. Settling is normal with real fruit.
- Measure, then pour. Too sweet? Add more water. Too weak? Add more mix. Won't freeze right? Add more water.
- Mix in a clean bucket or pitcher, then pour into the machine.
Yields are liquid volume before machine overrun.
Frozen drink machines
Each barrel (bowl) holds one flavor, so the number of barrels sets how many flavors you can pour at once.
- Clean and sanitize each barrel before changing flavors, following your machine maker's instructions.
- Pre-mix the flavor at the right ratio, then fill to the barrel's fill line. Don't overfill: the drink needs room to expand as it freezes.
- Give a fresh barrel time to freeze before the first pour. Top off with pre-mixed product, not straight mix or straight water.
- Keep the same ratio every refill.
- Spirits in the batch? Use the machine's cocktail setting. More alcohol freezes softer.
- Hopper smaller than the batch? Make half now and mix the second half fresh right before the next fill. Never hold a mixed batch with alcohol in it.
- At close, follow the maker's overnight or cleaning cycle.
Need machines or more barrels? Tell us on our wholesale form.
Cocktails (21 and over)
Texas Blends contains no alcohol. Recipes with spirits are for adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
| Batch | Mix | Spirits | Water | Makes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 1 flavor | 1 bottle (64 oz) | 2 to 3 L rum or vodka | 2 gal | About 3 gal |
| Margarita (7 to 1) | 1 bottle (64 oz) | 3 L tequila + 1 L triple sec | 3 1/2 gal | About 5 gal |
- With spirits added, the total liquid runs about 5 to 1 for most flavors and about 9 to 1 for Margarita.
- Add the mix fresh and run it through the machine right away. Real fruit doesn't hold up sitting in alcohol for long.
- Not strong enough? Add more spirits. More alcohol freezes softer, so use the machine's cocktail setting.
Blenders, slushie machines and dirty sodas
| Use | Build | Makes |
|---|---|---|
| Blender | 2 oz mix + 10 to 12 oz ice. Margarita takes a little less mix. Splash of water optional | One frozen drink |
| Blender daiquiri (21+) | 2 oz spirits + 2 oz mix + 12 oz ice | One 12 oz drink |
| Blender margarita (21+) | 2 oz tequila + 1 oz triple sec + 1 to 2 oz Margarita mix + 12 oz ice | One 12 oz drink |
| Home slushie machine (64 oz model) | 4 to 1 flavor: 12 oz mix + 48 oz water. 7 to 1 flavor: 7 1/2 oz mix + 52 1/2 oz water | 60 oz fill |
| Home slushie machine (48 oz model) | 4 to 1 flavor: 9 oz mix + 36 oz water. 7 to 1 flavor: 5 5/8 oz mix + 39 3/8 oz water | 45 oz fill |
| Dirty soda | 16 oz cup two-thirds full of crushed ice, 4 to 6 pumps of mix (up to 2 oz), top with about 8 oz soda | One 16 oz cup |
- Blender: no water needed with just mix and ice. A splash of water helps it blend smoother. Add juice or fruit if you like.
- Slushie machines: keep the mix at its normal ratio. Thinning it past ratio keeps it from freezing. Diet soda won't freeze in these machines.
- A syrup pump fits the 64 oz bottle. Most pumps put out 1/3 to 1/2 oz per pump.
Quality checks
- Fruit settled at the top or bottom? That's real fruit, like the strawberry you'll see in Pink Mamba. Shake it up and pour.
- Darker color than expected? Real fruit can deepen over time, especially Mango. That's the fruit, not a quality problem.
- Allergens: Eggnog (milk), Horchata (tree nut, almond), Sour (egg, milk), Vanilla Cream (milk), White Russian (milk). Always read the label.
- Damaged or wrong item? Contact us within 10 days of delivery with photos.
Questions? Call 844-4-BLENDS (844-425-3637) or email sales@texasblends.com, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Central. More answers on our FAQs.