If you’ve gone to a bar and checked the prices between a straight-up whiskey on the rocks and a fancy cocktail mixer, you are probably wondering if the mixers are made of gold or if there’s some other reason they’re so expensive.

Well, there are some reasons, and while they might not make you rush out to start buying them, we’re going to go over what those reasons are.

We’re also going to provide you with a cost-effective solution if you really like your cocktails but your wallet hates them.

Let’s get started.

1: Ingredients

If you buy a whiskey on the rocks, there are two ingredients. It’s just whiskey and ice, and the ice is practically free for the bar to produce. So, you’re really only paying for the whiskey, and a little more to cover some overhead, but we’ll cover the latter, later.

With a cocktail mixer, there is a lot more going on. Many mixed drinks have two or more types of alcohol in them, and that’s not including all the oddball ingredients used to give them a distinct flavor.

That’s a lot to pay for, and the bar is going to pass that down to consumers.

If you want a good example of why this is, buy a bottle of whiskey and make some ice. Then, buy all the ingredients necessary to make a good margarita. You’ll understand a bit better, that way.

2: Complexity

Bartenders serve a ton of patrons at once. They have a very fast-paced job, and any sort of slow down can lead to problems; especially in an environment where everyone is intoxicated. Cracking a beer, pouring cranberry vodka, or something like that doesn’t take any time at all. Putting together your exquisitely crafted custom cocktail with ten ingredients is far more complicated, and it slows the bar down dramatically. To make up for this, the bar needs to charge a little more. After all, it’s more work, and within the minute it takes to throw your drink together, they could have served four or five other customers.

3: Overhead

This affects every aspect of the bar. Some random person can’t just lease a building, fill up a couple of shelves with bottles of alcohol, and start inviting people in for drinks. It’s far more complicated than that.

First, bars have the same overhead as any other brick-and-mortar business. They have to pay the light bills, cover their lease agreements, pay the employees, and source all of the materials and ingredients they need to operate.

Then, they have special costs. Obviously, they have to maintain their liquor licenses to sell alcohol to the public. This is not only costly to renew all the time, but it also requires that every employee is on their toes; requiring very strict training.

On top of that, bars don’t just serve alcohol. Nearly every bar sells food, too. That requires various food licenses to do, hiring trained cooks, and of course, sourcing the food in the first place.

All those extra costs get tacked onto your bill; whether you get a mixer or just a glass of water.

Save Money with Premade Cocktail Mixers

Getting a cocktail at the bar is ridiculously expensive, and right now, a lot of people can’t afford to do that. If that sounds like you, try premade cocktail mixers at home. They’re a fraction of the cost, taste perfect every time, and you don’t have any drunken fools ruining your good time.