LIghtweight powdered drink mixes without sucralose/splenda/stevia/saccharine?

[Yooper]

Last August, I was off the grid in Alaska but was able to bring some beer and wine with me since we weren't limited by size/weight to get to the island (it was via a friend's boat).
This year, we'll be off grid on a different island, and getting there via float plane with a weight limit. I was thinking for our evening cocktail, I'd bring a small bottle of vodka (we'll only be totally off-grid for 6 days) and maybe some sort of drink mix like lemonade. (I sure wish one of you would hurry up and invent good dehydrated IPA).

All of the ones I see are either sugar sweetened (fine with me) but in very large containers, or in small packages for water bottles but sweetened with non-sugar sweetened.

Ideally, I'd have a (lowish) sugar sweetened lemonade or something like that that can fit in my backpack. No aspartame, sucralose, etc.

If I could find that little kool-aid packs that were like 10 cents when I was a kid, that'd be great- I could add a tiny bit of sugar or honey myself- but I haven't seen those in many years.

Do you guys have any ideas on a very lightweight mixer to take on this little trip? As soon as we get back to Anchorage, I'll be in search of a beer (or two or three).

 

[Broken Crow]

Simple; Bring a bag of lemons (and maybe a couple limes) and a squeezer, or just squeeze by hand. If you want sweetener, just bring your choice of sugar...just add water.

 

[Broken Crow]

...or, since it's only 6 days; squeeze what fruit you want and bring the juice...it won't go bad in that short space of time.

 

[AlexKay]

Lemon and lime juice come in powdered form (like this); I haven't used them for cocktails but they're pretty nice for drinks. Bring gin and sugar and powdered lime. Make gimlets. (Or drink the gin straight and call it a dry martini, that's what I do.)

 

[Broken Crow]

Lemon and lime juice come in powdered form (like this); I haven't used them for cocktails but they're pretty nice for drinks. Bring gin and sugar and powdered lime. Make gimlets. (Or drink the gin straight and call it a dry martini, that's what I do.)

Looks decent! First thing I did was look up the ingredients...long time user of 'only what we evolved on' in dietary choices.
Just to mention; My own dirty martini I learned from a bartender: dump the smallest amount of Vermouth you can in the glass and swish it around, flipping upside down and shake it all out, then pour your gin or vodka on top....still wants a lemon peel or olive though.

 

[MajorJC]

If I could find that little kool-aid packs that were like 10 cents when I was a kid, that'd be great

They are 25 cents per packet now, but they still have them at my Kroger. You can also get some on Amazon.

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.kroger.com/p/kroger-100-lemon-juice/0001111070207
or even better in my head to mix with vodka....

https://www.kroger.com/p/rose-s-gre...05?fulfillment=SHIP&searchType=default_search

 

[Yooper]

Simple; Bring a bag of lemons (and maybe a couple limes) and a squeezer, or just squeeze by hand. If you want sweetener, just bring your choice of sugar...just add water.

Sorry, can’t carry lemons and limes in. We’re going light. That was my first thought, and what we do on the mainland. I’m sort of an anti-sugar Nazi, and worse on fake sugars. I’m ok with a tiny bit now and then, and could bring a little honey with me in a ziploc, but no ‘heavy’ fruit that I have to pack in this time.

 

[SanPancho]

Sorry, can’t carry lemons and limes in. We’re going light. That was my first thought, and what we do on the mainland. I’m sort of an anti-sugar Nazi, and worse on fake sugars. I’m ok with a tiny bit now and then, and could bring a little honey with me in a ziploc, but no ‘heavy’ fruit that I have to pack in this time.

theres some sort of electrolyte powder drink that i just got in a gift/swag bag recently. dont remember what its called but it had a fruit flavor, but didnt seem like it was sweet at all, so i'd guess theres no sugar.

 

[Yooper]

Lemon and lime juice come in powdered form (like this); I haven't used them for cocktails but they're pretty nice for drinks. Bring gin and sugar and powdered lime. Make gimlets. (Or drink the gin straight and call it a dry martini, that's what I do.)

LOVE this!!!!!!!!! Weight is a big factor (so no beer, wine, etc) and that’s exactly what I think I want. I can bring in a little sugar and/or honey if it’s too tart but a vodka or gin gimlet sounds great.
I love dry martinis (my favorite) but I want to be (mostly) sober and just want a drink to relax after a hard day of fishing and hiking.
Thank you! I think a little lemon or lime + 1/4 tsp of sugar and water = gimlet!
For us, weight is a huge factor, but so is bulk.

 

[bracconiere]

there's always essential oils? should blend nice with the ethanol?

https://www.swansonvitamins.com/p/n...KLx8HnEPwxpkprNgzQhoCN3sQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Yooper]

theres some sort of electrolyte powder drink that i just got in a gift/swag bag recently. dont remember what its called but it had a fruit flavor, but didnt seem like it was sweet at all, so i'd guess theres no sugar.

That’s a great idea- I tried amazon and all of them had sucralose or apartame but I’ll keep looking for something not sweet (or worse, fake sweet)!

 

[Yooper]

there's always essential oils? should blend nice with the ethanol?

https://www.swansonvitamins.com/p/n...KLx8HnEPwxpkprNgzQhoCN3sQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks. I deal with EOs often with my soapmaking and they smell nice, but I don’t think they’d give us the flavor we’d want in mixing. I should try it before we go, though, just to see since I have at least orange essential oil on hand. That’s a good thought.

 

[bracconiere]

Thanks. I deal with EOs often with my soapmaking and they smell nice, but I don’t think they’d give us the flavor we’d want in mixing. I should try it before we go, though, just to see since I have at least orange essential oil on hand. That’s a good thought.

when you zest one, isn't that pretty much just the oil you're getting? it might not have the citric acid bite though....

 

[Yooper]

when you zest one, isn't that pretty much just the oil you're getting? it might not have the citric acid bite though....

No, essential oils are distilled to be highly concentrated and not the same as a bit of peel One lemon wouldn’t even begin to give you anywhere near giving you even 5 mls of essential oil. One drop of essential oil would likely be too much, but maybe not enough to taste. It would need experimentation for sure.
I have other things, like amoretti flavorings from HomebrewCon, but I don’t want to have to carry/pack it in.

 

[bracconiere]

No, essential oils are distilled to be highly concentrated and not the same as a bit of peel One lemon wouldn’t even begin to give you anywhere near giving you even 5 mls of essential oil. One drop of essential oil would likely be too much, but maybe not enough to taste. It would need experimentation for sure.
I have other things, like amoretti flavorings from HomebrewCon, but I don’t want to have to carry/pack it in.

i know that! i have a 7 gallon essential oil extractor!


i just tried some young living "citrus fruit" essential oil in a glass of sugar wash...tasted like tangerines, wasn't that bad really....thinking, in watered down vodka, would be good, as long as the ABV was weak to wear it was drinking quaility, not like burning sipping....

 

[Kharnynb]

It's so annoying that everything seems to have sugar replacement stuff in it.
Noticed that even the non-light versions of SodaStream now have artificial sugar in it.

 

[Zambezi Special]

Take whisky!
All you need is water (and ice)

Shame Alaska is cold. Otherwise I would have suggested to take kveik yeast and you would have your alcoholic drinks in a couple of days

On the more serious side: all I can think of is cordial and dilute big time as most are pure sugar.
Would those little things with flavourings, that people use for baking, work?