Are certain mixers regional ?

Sorry if this was posted in another thread. I am asking about bottled mixers available in liquor stores or supermarkets not fresh seasonal ingredients. I was down in Florida in June and wanted to make a Mai Tai for my brother-in-law. We went out and got the goods. St. James extra old, El Dorado 15 year old and various other bottles of "the good stuff". When it came time for the mixers I could not find Orgeat syrup any where. Four liquor stores and nothing. I asked at each one and got a blank stare. The same thing with bottled simple syrup. I know I can make each one myself but for time sake I was going to buy the bottled stuff. One lady said she had been working in the store for years and had never heard of Orgeat and "you make your own sugar syrup down here". Sorry for the rant but how do they make a quick Mai Tai down there. Same Thing way up here in Michigan. Trying to find Passion Fruit syrup up here is like getting spices from the Orient in the 1400's. So back to the question. I know all these can be made at home or ordered of the web, but do you folks find that some mixers are regional ? Thanks and sorry again for the rant.

I've never found Orgeat in a liquor store anywhere. The best place to look for it is in gourmet coffee stores. Simple syrup is so quick and easy to make, I don't even bother buying it anymore.

Your regional observation is correct, sir.

But it is more than just geography that dictates who has what and where....

Here in Florida, we are a 'distributor' state meaning that you (the liquor store) can only buy your liquor and beer through a state-regulated distributor. If the distributor doesn't carry it, you don't have it on your shelves.

And many of the southern states, well actually many of the States, have systems that are equally odd when you actually try and figure them out.

How do you get around this, or is there a way to get what I am looking for at home?

Well, home-brew is your best bet for all of your modifiers.

"Adopting' your local outlet is another option. Talk to the manager, or at least the person in charge of inventory, and see if they can order you something. Or can they make a list of things you want and when enough people ask for an item they will make a special order.

And, to your specific request about ingredients when traveling..... send up smoke signals and let the locals know you are headed into town. They will know who has what and where at your destination.

You could always mail order mixers, especially if their non-alcoholic, from places like Beverages and More, or Hi Time Wines, or other places like the Trader Vic's website. Hi Time Wines has reasonable shipping, and you can order just by the single bottle of what you need. Also, you could talk to the manager/owner of your local good liquor store/wine shop, and have them order it for you. Or find out who the local wine and spirits distributor is for your region, and order from him. Chances are you are going to have to order a full case minimum though if you go that manager or distributor route, so you would have to get some friends in on the deal or something. But it's always good to be stocked up on stuff like that though!

Thanks for all the input. I can get my orgeat and a few other mixers here in Michigan. I also have a casual acquaintance with the owners of one or two stores here in town. Just struck me as a strange thing how certain mixers are widely available in certain areas and unheard of in others. As for home brew, my Allspice Dram is aging as we speak. Thanks again for the help.

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2008-07-27 13:44 ]

I have found Orgeat in Kzoo before, but that was back in 1990 or so. I have also bought it in Metro-Detroit (pre-2000). Since then I have just bought online.

I've found that most liquor stores everywhere around here (except the beach) either do not carry any mixers, or they carry ginger ale, club soda, and seltzer water, but no syrups. That might have changed in DC itself, but I rarely go there as almost everything is cheaper in surrounding Maryland and Virginia. At the beach, orgeat is just as elusive, but stores carry simple syrup and a smattering of other bartending supplies.

Most of the time, not only in liquor stores but also in restaurants and bars, no one on the staff has even heard of orgeat, let alone where to procure it. I hardly ever order drinks in restaurants any more because they are so expensive and suck anyway. That would be different if there was a TVs or other Tiki establishments in the area. I make an exception if I see a bottle of orgeat behind a bar, just in case the bartender might have some skills.

As for orgeat, I generally make my own. Even my Emergency Orgeat is better than any store-bought variety I've found. But sometimes I still order some back up store-bought, which I order online from Touch of Europe. They carry a few lines of French syrups, including orgeat, of course. Order $50 worth of stuff to get free ground delivery.