Nantucket Orange Mango

Nantucket Orange Mango is a non-alcoholic mixer, so it works as the flavor base of a drink and isn't meant to be sipped on its own. The label points to two fruits: orange for acidity and a citrus-peel brightness, and mango for a softer, rounder tropical sweetness. Mixers in this style usually put the orange up front and let the mango fill in the middle and finish. Treat that as the expected shape of the flavor, not a measured profile. Check the bottle for the exact sweetness and ingredient list before you build a recipe around it. Serve it cold. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator and pour it over plenty of ice, because a fruit mixer tastes flatter and sweeter as it warms. Once opened, shake the bottle before each pour if it's a juice-style product, since fruit solids can settle. Because the mixer already carries sweetness, you can usually leave out simple syrup and add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon to sharpen the balance. For mixed drinks, a clear spirit gives the fruit the most room. Vodka and white rum are the easy matches: about 1.5 ounces of spirit over ice, topped with 3 to 4 ounces of the mixer, makes a long drink in the screwdriver and rum-and-juice tradition. Tequila blanco suits the orange and mango pairing well, and the mixer can stand in for part of the orange liqueur and sweetener in a margarita-style drink. Shake 2 ounces of tequila, 1 ounce of fresh lime juice, and 1.5 ounces of the mixer with ice, then strain over fresh ice. Prosecco or another dry sparkling wine turns it into a mimosa variation. Use roughly equal parts, or less mixer if you want the wine to lead. Ginger beer or soda water can lengthen any of these if the first pour comes out too sweet. Use a highball or collins glass for long drinks over ice, and a rocks glass for a shorter margarita-style serve. A flute or stemmed wine glass fits the sparkling-wine version. Garnish with an orange wheel or a lime wedge, and rim the glass with salt or Tajín for the tequila drinks. For food, expect it to pair with grilled shrimp, fish tacos, jerk chicken, and spicy dishes, where the fruit cools the heat. It also goes well with salty snacks such as chips and salsa.