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Lemon on tree
©2011 Kindred Cocktails

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
  • Scarlet Knight — Gin, Ramazzotti, Sweet vermouth, Zucca, Eau de vie of Douglas Fir, Cranberry syrup, Lemon juice, Mint
  • Canton Daisy — Ginger liqueur, Herbal liqueur, Bitters, Lemon juice, Club soda, Simple syrup, Candied ginger
  • The Miller Shake — Añejo rum, Calvados, Coconut liqueur, Demerara Rum, Bitters, Lime juice, Lemon juice, Rich demerara syrup 2:1, Egg white, Black Cardamom
  • Cucumber Lavender Sour Punch — Gin, Ginger liqueur, Crème Yvette, Lemon juice, Simple syrup, Cucumber, Lavender Tea
  • Lust For Life (The Breslin NYC) — Gin, Lemon juice, Lavender syrup, Club soda, Mint
  • Norwegian Plum — Aquavit, Bitters, Lemon juice, Simple syrup
  • Apple and Eve — Bison grass vodka, Lemon juice, Gomme syrup, Egg white, Brown sugar, Apple
  • Negroni on Saturn — Gin, Campari, Sweet vermouth, Falernum, Lemon juice, Passion fruit syrup, Orgeat, Cherry, Lemon
  • Selinon Soother (OG Version) — Gin, Bianco Vermouth, Jamaican #1 bitters, Seltzer water, Lemon juice, Celery syrup, Simple syrup, Lemon peel