How to Make a Strawberry Tequila Collins Using Our Premixed Base

A strawberry tequila Collins is a bright, fizzy home cocktail built around our Original Bartenders Cocktails® tequila strawberry premixed base. The ready-to-drink bottle carries the tequila, ripe fruit and supporting mixer; soda water supplies the lift that turns it into a bar-style serve. This division keeps the recipe approachable without making the result dull or syrupy.

The appeal is in contrast: sweet red fruit, clean citrus and a crisp lift of bubbles. Served over plenty of ice in a narrow glass, it feels lighter than a margarita and more layered than fruit juice. A small amount of fresh lime adds acidity and aroma, bringing the strawberry forward instead of letting it taste flat.

For Australian home bars, this is a practical serve because most kitchens already have the essential equipment: a measuring cup, a citrus squeezer, a knife and a reliable supply of ice. Australian bars and households commonly work in metric measures, so millilitres make the ratios easy to repeat. The alcoholic base is for legal-drinking-age adults only; in Australia, that age is 18, and the website includes an age gate.

For one 250–300 mL glass, gather 60 mL of tequila strawberry premixed base, 15–25 mL fresh lime juice, approximately 120 mL chilled soda water, clear cubes or crushed ice, and a strawberry, lime wheel or citrus peel for the rim. Chilling the ingredients and glass beforehand matters on a hot day, when melted ice and room-temperature soda can flatten the drink quickly.

Pick the base and glass

Check the label on the Original Bartenders Cocktails® base before opening it, as different pours may have slightly different flavours or serving suggestions. The tequila and strawberry combination behind the range was inspired by a bartender’s experience in Mexico, giving the premix a recognisable fruit-and-agave profile. It is designed to provide the concentrated foundation of the drink, so there is no need to measure tequila, strawberry purée and sweetener separately.

A straight-sided Collins or highball glass is the best choice. It should hold roughly 250–300 mL, enough room for ice, base and soda without forcing the drink into a narrow opening. A standard tall glass works too, but a Collins glass shows off the layered colour and keeps the carbonation visible. Chilling the empty glass in the fridge for several minutes helps keep the final serve cold.

Ice is more than a bulk ingredient here. Clear cubes melt slowly and preserve the drink’s crisp texture, while crushed ice creates a faster, softer serve suited to a hot arvo. Ordinary supermarket ice is perfectly suitable, though larger cubes or reusable clear cubes will keep the glass looking cleaner. Using less ice leaves more space for liquid, while too much can make the proportions difficult to judge.

Balance strawberry, lime and fizz

Begin with 60 mL of the premixed base and 15 mL of fresh lime juice. That starting ratio gives the strawberry enough brightness without turning the drink into a sharp lime soda. Fresh lime also contributes aromatic oils that give the glass a brighter aroma. Bottled lime juice can work in a pinch, but fresh fruit generally tastes cleaner and makes the cocktail more appealing.

Taste before committing to the full glass. If the combination seems slightly flat, add another 5 mL of lime; if it tastes sharp, leave the juice as it is and let soda water soften it. Avoid adding extra sugar, because the premixed base already carries noticeable sweetness. A lime wheel improves the aroma, but its flavour is mostly on the surface unless it is squeezed into the drink.

Use plain soda water rather than tonic water, ginger beer or flavoured sparkling water. Traditional cola-style mixers can overpower the delicate strawberry notes, while tonic introduces quinine and a bittersweet edge. Ice-cold soda gives the Collins more energy and keeps the fruit flavour defined. If the base has been stored somewhere warm, chilling the bottle and glass for 20–30 minutes can noticeably improve the result.

Build the Collins

Start by filling the chilled glass around three-quarters full with ice. Add 60 mL of the tequila strawberry premixed base, followed by 20 mL of fresh lime juice. Pouring the base over the ice chills it quickly and starts the gentle dilution that gives a Collins its smooth, drinkable texture.

Add approximately 120 mL of chilled soda water. Give the glass one slow stir with a bar spoon, lifting the ice from the bottom without shaking the drink vigorously. Leave a little room at the top for the bubbles to settle, and serve the Collins immediately rather than allowing it to stand until the ice disappears.

Finish with a lime wheel at the rim, a halved strawberry on a cocktail pick or a strip of fresh citrus peel. A little strawberry and lime together makes the fruit connection obvious, while a simple lime wheel keeps the presentation clean and lets the pink-red colour remain the focus. This is a built drink, not a blended one, so the glass should stay clear and sparkling from the first pour to the last sip.

Serve it at an Australian arvo

The drink suits the warm afternoons that make an arvo drink such a familiar part of Australian life. It works for a lazy gathering in Melbourne, a rooftop session in Sydney or a backyard afternoon in Brisbane, particularly when the menu needs to stay simple. A batch of premixed bottles, chilled soda and plenty of citrus can cover a group without requiring a complicated bar setup or a room full of equipment.

If the drinks are part of a weekend barbecue, browsing barbecue essentials can help with the rest of the menu while keeping the drinks straightforward. Grilled meat, smoky sausages and fresh summer salads all work with a strawberry tequila Collins because its fruit profile feels lighter than many creamy or spirit-forward serves. Keep the food simple and let the bottle handle the cocktail portion.

Australian drinking language makes this an easy drink to bring to a gathering. A group may call the order a shout, even when everyone is helping themselves in a home kitchen, and a well-balanced serve might earn the verdict “that’s a beauty”. Whatever the wording, provide water and substantial food alongside the cocktails. Guests who are driving or avoiding alcohol still need an appealing option, so chilled soda with lime and strawberries can be prepared in the same way.

Order, store and prepare the first serve

Keep unopened bottles in the conditions stated on the label, usually somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight. Refrigerate the bottle after opening if instructed, and return any remaining liquid to the fridge promptly rather than leaving it on a bench or in a warm car. Australian summer temperatures can arrive quickly, and heat changes both the carbonation and the flavour of the fruit base.

Online alcohol ordering is convenient, but age checks and an adult handover are normal parts of the market. Before submitting delivery and payment information, read the ordering privacy details to understand what information is collected and how it is used. Choose a delivery window when someone of legal drinking age can receive the order, especially if the weather is hot or the bottles need to be refrigerated soon after arrival.

For a gathering, prepare the base, lime and soda separately so each guest can build a fresh glass. Set out the glasses, ice bucket, spoon, garnish and a bottle of chilled soda within easy reach. If the drink is being paired with food, prepare the garnishes just before serving because cut strawberries and exposed lime gradually lose their aroma.

The first concrete step for the next serve is to chill a 300 mL glass, fill it three-quarters with ice, measure in 60 mL of premixed base and 20 mL of fresh lime, then top it with 120 mL of chilled soda water.