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Which Brew Goes With Which Spirit? A Bundaberg Mixer Guide
A mixer does more than top up a glass. It decides whether a drink tastes like an afterthought or like something worth making again, which is where a brewed soft drink earns its place. The five Bundaberg Brews in this guide are made with real lemons and limes, sun-ripened blood oranges, real passionfruit and homegrown Aussie ginger. Each one is brewed for up to seven days, so there’s genuine flavour to build a drink around.
Here’s which brew to reach for with gin, vodka, tequila and rum, the Mixology recipe to make with each and an alcohol-free option for anyone skipping the spirit.
Gin: Lemon Lime & Bitters or Blood Orange
Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters is an easy match for gin. It’s craft brewed over seven days using real lemons and limes infused with aromatic herbs and spices, then finished with our Master Brewer’s own bitters recipe of cinnamon quills, clove buds and gentian root.
Here’s a Bitta Lemon puts it to work. Shake 50ml gin with 10ml Campari and 15ml lemon juice, strain into a highball glass and top with Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters, then add ice and garnish with an orange wedge. For the full story behind the drink, the complete guide to lemon lime and bitters covers what goes into it and how to serve it.
Blood Orange takes gin somewhere else entirely. Bundaberg Blood Orange is brewed over two days using sun-ripened blood oranges, which gives it a bold colour and a balance of sweetness and citrus tang.
In the Blood Orange Negroni, 30ml goes into a mixing glass over ice with 30ml each of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, plus two dashes of blood orange bitters. Stir until chilled, strain into a chilled glass filled with ice and garnish with blood orange peel and a sprig of rosemary or thyme.
Vodka: Passionfruit
Bundaberg Passionfruit is slowly brewed over two days, and you can smell the real passionfruit as soon as the cap comes off. It’s the brew behind the Passionfruit Martini. Shake 30ml vanilla vodka, 15ml passionfruit liqueur, 30ml Bundaberg Passionfruit and 15ml lime juice with a cup of ice, strain into a martini glass and gently top with 60ml sparkling wine. Garnish with passionfruit pulp, segments or flowers.
Tequila: Traditional Lemonade or Blood Orange
Bundaberg Traditional Lemonade is brewed over three days using real Aussie Eureka lemons, and its zesty, old-school flavour sits well with tequila. For Lemonade Margaritas, stir 80ml Traditional Lemonade with 50ml tequila, 15ml Cointreau, 15ml limoncello and 15ml lemon juice in a cocktail jug. Pour into a lowball glass filled with ice and garnish with dried lemon wheels and mint.
Blood Orange earns a second mention here. The Blood Orange Margarita shakes 45ml tequila with 15ml orange liqueur, 30ml lime juice and 15ml agave, then strains it over fresh ice into a lowball glass rimmed with salt and orange zest. Top with 90ml Bundaberg Blood Orange, stir gently and finish with a slice of blood orange.
Rum: Ginger Beer or Ginger Ale?
When a recipe calls for a ginger mixer, it helps to know the difference. Ginger beer is traditionally brewed, which gives it a deeper, more gingery flavour. Ginger ale is more commonly a ginger-flavoured soda made using a syrup.
With rum, try Appley Ever After. Shake 50ml dark rum with 15ml apple liqueur, 20ml lime juice and 30ml cloudy apple juice, strain into a tumbler and top with Bundaberg Ginger Beer, then add ice and an apple fan to finish.
Skipping the spirit
Each of these brews is made to be enjoyed on its own over ice, and four of them have a mocktail ready to go:
Bitter Brew: shake one passionfruit with 20ml lime juice and 30ml grapefruit juice, strain into a tall glass and top with Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters. Finish with a drizzle of bitters and a lime wedge
Pink Lemonade: muddle three strawberries with 20ml lemon juice, add 50ml cranberry juice and shake, then pour into a tall glass. Top with Bundaberg Traditional Lemonade and garnish with a strawberry fan
Orang-a-Tang: muddle two pieces of pineapple and half a lime with a pinch of mint, shake and pour into a large glass. Top with Bundaberg Blood Orange and garnish with mint and a pineapple wedge
Mimic Mule: muddle a lime cut into eighths with a pinch of mint and 10ml sugar syrup, shake and strain into a tall glass. Top with Bundaberg Ginger Beer and finish with a mint sprig
For more alcohol-free ideas, see 5 Mocktails to Make with Bundaberg Brewed Drinks.
Stock the bar
Find your nearest stockist with the Product Locator or browse online retailers through Shop Now. The full Mixology collection has more than 100 cocktails and mocktails to work through, and if you’re in Bundaberg, The Barrel is the place to taste the range in person.
Join the Brew Crew to stay up to date with what’s brewing, and please enjoy responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
What do you mix with lemon lime bitters?
Gin is a good place to start. Here’s a Bitta Lemon shakes 50ml gin with 10ml Campari and 15ml lemon juice, then tops it with Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters and an orange wedge. For more on the drink itself, see the lemon, lime and bitters guide.
Is there a lemon lime and bitters mocktail recipe?
Yes, the Bitter Brew. Shake one passionfruit with 20ml lime juice and 30ml grapefruit juice, strain into a tall glass and top with Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters. Finish with a drizzle of bitters and a lime wedge.
What does Bundaberg Blood Orange taste like?
Just like a real blood orange, it has a bold colour and a combination of sweetness and citrus tang. Bundaberg Blood Orange is brewed over two days using sun-ripened blood oranges. It works with gin in the Blood Orange Negroni, with tequila in the Blood Orange Margarita and without alcohol in the Orang-a-Tang mocktail.
What’s in a Passionfruit Martini?
Bundaberg’s version shakes vanilla vodka, passionfruit liqueur, Bundaberg Passionfruit and lime juice over ice, then tops it with sparkling wine in a martini glass. The measurements and method are on the Passionfruit Martini recipe page.
How do you make pink lemonade?
Muddle three strawberries with 20ml lemon juice, add 50ml cranberry juice and shake. Pour into a tall glass, top with Bundaberg Traditional Lemonade and finish with a strawberry fan. The full Pink Lemonade recipe is in the Mixology collection.
What’s the difference between ginger beer and ginger ale?
It comes down to how each is made. Ginger beer is traditionally brewed, which gives it a deeper, more gingery flavour. Ginger ale is more commonly a ginger-flavoured soda made using a syrup. Bundaberg Ginger Beer is brewed over three days using homegrown Aussie ginger, to a family recipe used for four generations.
Can you use Bundaberg Ginger Beer in a Moscow Mule?
Yes, it’s a natural fit for a Moscow Mule. For an alcohol-free version, the Mimic Mule stands in for one with none of the vodka. It’s muddled lime, mint and sugar syrup, topped with Bundaberg Ginger Beer and a mint sprig.
What’s a good mixer for tequila?
Traditional Lemonade and Blood Orange both work well. Lemonade Margaritas stir Bundaberg Traditional Lemonade with tequila, Cointreau, limoncello and lemon juice. The Blood Orange Margarita tops a shaken mix of tequila, orange liqueur, lime and agave with Bundaberg Blood Orange.