Fresh Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed lemon — the acid of a Whiskey Sour, a Tom Collins, a French 75.

Juices
Flavor profile: citrussour

Fresh lemon juice carries the brightness of the Whiskey Sour, Tom Collins, Bee's Knees, French 75, and Paper Plane. It holds up better than lime juice over a few hours but still oxidizes — juice as close to service as practical. Meyer lemons make a softer, floral juice; stick with standard Eureka or Lisbon lemons for traditional cocktail acidity.

Common uses

Whiskey Sour, Tom Collins, Bee's Knees, French 75, Lemon Drop.

Cocktails that use Fresh Lemon Juice

  • Whiskey Sour — Bourbon meets lemon juice and simple syrup for a silky, frothy sour
  • Paper Plane — Equal-parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice — perfectly balanced
  • Penicillin — Blended Scotch, fresh ginger, honey-lemon, and a smoky Islay float
  • Gold Rush — Bourbon, fresh lemon, and honey syrup — simple and deeply satisfying
  • Tom Collins — Gin, lemon, sugar, and soda — the original long, refreshing cocktail
  • Bee's Knees — Gin, honey syrup, and fresh lemon — a Prohibition-era classic
  • French 75 — Gin, lemon, sugar, and Champagne — named after a WWI field artillery gun
  • Aviation — Gin, maraschino, crème de violette, and lemon — sky-blue and floral
  • Corpse Reviver #2 — Equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, lemon, and an absinthe rinse
  • Bloody Mary — The ultimate brunch cocktail — vodka, tomato juice, and savory spices
  • Lemon Drop — Vodka, triple sec, and fresh lemon — tart and sparkling with a sugared rim
  • Sidecar — Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice with a sugared rim — Parisian elegance

Substitutes