Delicious and easy ways to use up all those fresh lemons you stole from your neighbour’s tree.
Starting off strong we’ve got everyone’s favourite lemon cocktail: the Tom Collins. This cocktail has been around for yonks, thanks to a tight balance of lemon, gin and sugar syrup. If you’re not familiar with the Tom Collins, it belongs to a wider family of ‘Collins’ cocktails, which are all served in tall glasses and follow this basic formula: spirit, sour, sweet, and soda.
That simplicity also means this drink is super malleable, so if you don’t happen to like gin (or do and are just out) swap out the gin and replace it with a light white rum to make it a Pedro Collins, or bourbon whiskey for a Colonel Collins. Or keep the gin, muddle in some cherries and blueberries, and you’ve got yourself an American Collins. Got your hands on some lavender syrup? Toss it in your Tom Collins to make it a Sapphire Collins.
The French 75 is pretty similar to our Tom Collins recipe, but with the boujie addition of Champagne. As the name suggests, the cocktail is très French. It is often thought that the very first sips of the cocktail were on the frontline in World War One, with many speculating it was named after the fast-firing 75mm French field gun. But we mostly attribute the cocktail’s success to the legendary bartender Harry MacElhone, who served it out of his Paris venue, Harry’s New York Bar. He also wrote about the cocktail in his famous cocktail recipe book, Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, in 1926.
Like the Tom Collins, the French 75 lends itself to adaptation. For example, you can make a French 76 by subbing the gin for vodka. Or, swap in tequila and you have a Mexican 55. Or a more recent variation, by Simon Difford in 2006, subs in elderflower liqueur for the gin to create a French 77.
If you want a sturdier, stiffer lemon drink, opt for the Whisky Sour. A perfect blend of lemon, sugar, whisky and frothy egg white, the Whisky Sour is a great 'whenever' drink, and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Like many of the drinks popping out of the 1800s, the origins of the Whisky Sour are scurvy-related. These days, however, the Whisky Sour is less a home remedy and more a tasty luxury.
Much like the other two lemon cocktails above, the Whisky Sour is great because of its versatility. For example, if you’re not a whisky fan, sub it out for brandy or Cognac. Or you could make it fancier with a peaty Scotch whisky. If you’re after a lighter drink, replace the whisky with amaretto or pisco. And lastly, if the idea of raw egg in a drink makes your stomach curl, sub out the egg whites for aquafaba or Wonderfoam.
If you like a Whisky Sour, but want to try something a bit different, have a crack at the New York Sour. It’s basically a Whisky Sour sans egg, with the fancy, Big Apple-addition of a red wine float. It’s part of the 'sour' family of cocktails, which means it has to be made using a spirit, sugar, citrus and ice. They’re probably some of the oldest cocktails ever recorded, with sours like this one dating back to around the mid-1800s.
If you’re not convinced that the New York Sour is for you, just have a look at it. It’s so pretty, how could you say no? Sours aren’t overly complicated to make, in fact they’re quite easy, but the red wine float takes a bit of practising to perfect. Have a read of our top tips for making your float the floatiest it can be.
Now we’re talking. The OG, the numero uno, the Brandy Crusta. If you can make this lemony cocktail, then you can impress even the coolest of cool bartenders. Born in 1850s New Orleans, the Crusta cocktail is one of the oldest cocktail families in America. The Crusta was first designed by Italian American Joseph Santini and named for its sexy sugar crust rim. The cocktail is so important (in terms of cocktail lineage) it has even been named the forerunner to the famous Sidecar, and even the Margarita. Now, the drink isn’t tricky to make, but the garnish takes a bit of time, so make sure you check out our tips on our recipe page for advice on how to perfect it.
- What kind of lemons are best for cocktails?
We love Meyer lemons for their sweetness (they’re also slightly less acidic), but your everyday lemons also work well.
- Can I use bottled lemon juice for cocktails?
We know you know what we’re going to say – fresh lemons will always bring the best flavour and quality to your cocktail. But we know sometimes you just can’t reach those lemons on your neighbour’s tree, so you can definitely use bottled lemon juice in place of squeezing fresh lemon juice.
- How long can I store fresh lemon juice for cocktails?
Pop your fresh lemon juice in an airtight container, in the fridge and you should get three or four days out of it, or freeze it in cubes to give you more, and longer lasting, options.
