Lemon juice is the juice of a lemon, or Citrus limon, a small, evergreen tree native to Asia. Lemon juice is mainly composed of citric acid, and has a pH of around 2.3. While lemon juice has an incredible amount of culinary uses (everything from curdling milk for cream cheese to balancing out pan juices for gravy to cleaning pots and pans), it is the primary acidity used in cocktail making, as it is the most neutral of the common acidifiers (other common acid sources include limes and oranges).

Lemon juice adds a fairly neutral balance in modest amounts, but can shift the flavors of other ingredients, as in the Jasmine, where lemon juice takes the cherry flavor of Campari and makes it taste like pink grapefruit.

Some popular cocktails containing Lemon juice

  • Coffee Cobbler — Venezuelan rum, Coffee liqueur, Orange liqueur, Simple syrup, Lemon juice
  • Stache — Rye, Pear liqueur, Bitters, Lemon juice, Cinnamon syrup, Egg white
  • Koi Pond Punch — Japanese Whisky, Shochu, Umeshu, Simple syrup, Lemon juice, Mango juice
  • Lee-Stumper — Aquavit, Lemon juice, Grapefruit juice, Rich simple syrup 2:1
  • Susina Sour — Plum eau-de-vie, Orange liqueur, Gin, Lemon juice, Honey syrup, Cherry, Rosemary
  • Battering Ram — Bourbon, Oloroso sherry, Bitters, Lemon juice, Ginger syrup, Demerara syrup
  • Barnes Stormer — Apple brandy, Rum, Sorel liqueur, Bitters, Soda water, Ginger syrup, Lemon juice
  • Lone Oak — Irish whiskey, Herbal liqueur, Bitters, Lemon juice, Pistachio syrup, Curry
  • Kentucky Pilgrim — Bourbon, Maraschino Liqueur, Lemon juice, Demerara syrup, Lemon peel
  • Deep Breath — Light rum, Manzanilla sherry, Absinthe, White Crème de Menthe, Soda water, Pineapple juice, Lemon juice, Orgeat, Egg white, Mint
Lemon on tree
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