Fresh Fruit or Purée? Let’s Clear Things Up

I still remember, with a mix of happiness and nostalgia, my first experiences behind the bar counter.
It was the second half of the 1990s—Caipirinha and Caipiroska dominated the market, and the most beloved tool among bartenders at the time was, without a doubt, the muddler, used to crush lime wedges and release their pulp juice and essential oils from the peels. The most talented and creative bartenders of that era, however, stood out particularly for their offering of muddled cocktails with fresh fruit, which brought natural colors and aromas to the drinks that industrial products struggled to replicate—when they didn’t outright distort the raw ingredients they claimed to use.

I remember entire groups of young people hopping from one venue to another, following the places renowned for their strawberry Caipiroska, passion fruit Caipirinha, or mango Caipirissima—all made with incredibly fresh ingredients. Even the mise en place—the moment when each bartender set up their workstation—became a marketing operation: the more fresh fruit you could display on the counter, the more drink orders would pour in throughout the evening.

Let’s fast-forward about 30 years to 2025.
The world of mixing drinks—from professional mixology to innovative home bartending—is in constant evolution, but one element seems resistant to market trends and fads: the demand for fruit-based drinks. And that makes me incredibly happy, because it shows that customers are seeking a deeper connection with nature and are willing to reward those establishments that know how to elevate and highlight the natural ingredients the earth gives us.

With the experience I’ve gained over the years, however, I’ve realized that today we have another option for meeting guest demands at the bar—an option that, thanks to advancements in production technology, has significantly improved in quality over recent years.

While fresh fruit once reigned supreme as the only way to infuse natural flavor and aroma, in recent years other ingredients have earned a place of honor and, in many contexts, have even become the preferred choice: fruit purées and frozen fruit.

Far from being mere substitutes for fresh fruit, purées and frozen fruit offer a range of unique benefits and applications that make them indispensable tools for anyone looking to elevate the quality, consistency, and creativity of their drinks. In my experience with different producers, I’ve found a valuable ally for my cocktail creations in the products from Maison Ponthier, made with pasteurized fresh fruit and free from additives or artificial colorings.

Let’s take a closer look at the advantages offered by this French brand.

Free from the Tyranny of Seasonality

The first and perhaps most important advantage of Ponthier’s fruit purées and frozen fruit lies in their standardization. Unlike fresh fruit—which can vary widely in juiciness, ripeness, and texture (think of a ripe strawberry versus an underripe one)—Ponthier’s purées and frozen products are designed to deliver consistent texture and flavor, batch after batch.

Their purées are made using fruit picked at peak ripeness, ensuring a bold and consistent flavor profile. This eliminates the inherent variability of fresh fruit, whose taste can differ depending on the season, source, or even individual batch. A bartender can rely on a standardized flavor, which is crucial when it comes to replicating recipes accurately—without constantly rebalancing based on the freshness or quality of each new batch of fruit.

Moreover, fresh fruit is bound to seasonality, limiting the availability of certain ingredients at specific times of the year. Ponthier purées and frozen fruit allow access to exotic or out-of-season fruits anytime, ensuring menu consistency and offering a wide range of flavors all year round.

Intense Aroma and Vibrant Color

Ponthier’s purées and frozen fruit are crafted using techniques that concentrate the flavor and aroma of the fruit. Their purées, for instance, are made with 90% pasteurized fresh fruit and 10% raw cane sugar. This means even a small amount of purée can deliver a flavor impact much greater than the same quantity of fresh fruit or juice. For some varieties, Ponthier even uses 100% fruit, such as in their purées of bergamot, pineapple, passion fruit, mandarin, yuzu, or Alphonso mango.

The 100% fruit purées use ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a natural preservative. It’s important to check labels to select the best product for your specific needs.

The production process also includes the selection of specific cultivars for their strong aromatic profiles, resulting in a deeper, more robust flavor that holds up well even in complex mixes or with bold ingredients like certain spirits and liqueurs. Besides flavor, the purées offer vivid and appealing colors. The natural pigments in the fruit are concentrated in Ponthier purées, ensuring the final product has an intense and inviting hue that remains stable over time—without the use of additives or colorants.

While fresh fruit often has an intoxicating scent, the actual flavor in cocktails can sometimes be underwhelming due to dilution or the fruit’s watery nature. Ponthier purées, on the other hand, offer a more faithful and long-lasting taste of the original fruit.

Reduced Waste

Whether in professional or home settings, efficiency is key. Ponthier purées and frozen fruit offer major benefits in terms of practicality, preparation time, and minimizing waste.

First of all, they eliminate the need to wash, peel, cut, and blend fresh fruit—saving bartenders precious time, especially in high-volume environments like busy bars and restaurants. All you need to do is open the pack and pour.

Secondly, fresh fruit spoils quickly. Once purchased, it has a very short shelf life. Ponthier purées, packaged in stable formats (refrigerated or frozen), last much longer—both before and after opening (if properly stored, they can last up to 12 days after first use). This drastically reduces waste due to spoilage and helps manage economic resources more efficiently.

Food Safety and Quality Control

Ponthier purées and frozen fruits undergo rigorous quality control and hygiene standards.

Their production includes a pasteurization process, which extends shelf life and ensures food safety by eliminating harmful bacteria and microorganisms. Furthermore, Ponthier offers full product traceability—from the origin of the fruit to the production process—an increasingly important factor for both consumers and health regulations.

So, is fresh fruit dispensable at the bar?

Absolutely not!
Despite the many advantages of Ponthier purées and frozen fruit, it’s essential to recognize that fresh fruit still holds a place of honor in specific applications—for very good reasons.

No purée can replace the visual impact of a fresh lemon slice on a glass rim, a whole strawberry, or freshly muddled mint leaves. Fresh fruit is unbeatable for garnishes and adding a natural visual element. Additionally, if you’re crafting homemade products like ferments—which benefit from enzymatic activity or spontaneous fermentation (such as probiotic drinks or natural ferments)—fresh fruit is indispensable.

Conclusion

In the end, claiming that fruit purées are “better” than fresh fruit in mixology is an oversimplification. The most effective and professional approach is to treat Ponthier purées and frozen fruit as a powerful complement to fresh fruit—a valuable tool that expands the palette of any bartender or cocktail enthusiast.

Ponthier purées and frozen fruit excel in situations where consistency, stability, flavor intensity, and operational efficiency are priorities. They allow you to craft drinks and preparations with consistent taste, brilliant colors, and silky textures—regardless of the season or the variability of fresh produce. By reducing waste and prep time, they free up resources and energy to focus on creativity and customer experience.

Fresh fruit, on the other hand, remains irreplaceable when it comes to visual appeal, certain volatile aromatic notes, and preparations that require a more natural, raw approach.

Understanding the strengths of each option empowers you to make informed decisions and get the best out of both ingredients. In 2025, the true mixology professional is the one who knows when to choose a mango purée for the perfect Daiquiri—and when only a fresh lemon slice will do to crown a refreshing Gin & Tonic.
Mastery lies in orchestrating these ingredients to create unforgettable taste experiences, blending the practicality and stability of Ponthier purées with the charm and liveliness of freshly picked fruit.