Lemon Juice cocktails
31 classic recipes from our canon that use lemon juice — Lemon Juice sits in our juices shelf.
Whiskey Sour
Bourbon, lemon and a silky egg-white cap — tart, rounded and timeless.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml bourbon
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆20 ml simple syrup
- ◆1 egg white
Method
- 1Dry-shake everything without ice to build the foam.
- 2Add ice and shake again until cold.
- 3Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
PRO TIP
A few drops of bitters on the foam, dragged with a pick, makes it look the part.
Garnish — Angostura bitters
French 75
A gin sour topped with Champagne — celebratory, sharp and dangerously easy.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml champagne
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice.
- 2Strain into a chilled flute.
- 3Top gently with cold Champagne.
PRO TIP
Add the Champagne last and slow, or it foams over.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Penicillin
Scotch, honey, ginger and lemon with a smoky Islay float — a modern classic that cures what ails you.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml scotch whisky
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆22 ml honey syrup
- ◆7 ml ginger syrup
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- 3Optionally float a smoky Islay Scotch over the top.
PRO TIP
A few drops of peaty Islay Scotch floated on top adds the smoke that makes it sing.
Garnish — Candied ginger
Bramble
A gin sour over crushed ice, bled through with blackberry liqueur — a modern British classic.
Ingredients
- ◆50 ml gin
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆12 ml simple syrup
- ◆15 ml blackberry liqueur
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice.
- 2Strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass.
- 3Drizzle the blackberry liqueur over the top in a circle so it bleeds down.
PRO TIP
Crème de mûre is the classic blackberry liqueur — pour it last for the bleed.
Garnish — Lemon slice and blackberries
Sidecar
Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon — a sharp, elegant brandy sour from the Jazz Age.
Ingredients
- ◆50 ml cognac
- ◆20 ml triple sec
- ◆20 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe, sugar rim optional.
PRO TIP
Cointreau is the classic orange liqueur here.
Garnish — Orange twist
Pisco Sour
Pisco, lime and a silky egg-white cap finished with bitters — South America's signature sour.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml pisco
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆20 ml simple syrup
- ◆1 egg white
- ◆3 drops angostura bitters
Method
- 1Dry-shake pisco, lemon, syrup and egg white without ice.
- 2Add ice and shake again until cold.
- 3Strain into a chilled goblet and dot bitters over the foam.
PRO TIP
Drag a pick through the bitters dots for the classic feathered pattern.
Garnish — Angostura bitters
Bloody Mary
Savoury, spiced and tomato-rich — the definitive morning-after cocktail.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml vodka
- ◆90 ml tomato juice
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆2 dashes worcestershire sauce
- ◆2 dashes hot sauce
- ◆1 pinch black pepper
- ◆1 pinch celery salt
Method
- 1Add everything to a shaker with ice.
- 2Roll gently between shaker tins — don't hard-shake, or it goes frothy.
- 3Pour into an ice-filled highball.
PRO TIP
Roll, don't shake — you want a clean pour, not aerated tomato juice.
Garnish — Celery stalk and lemon wedge
Paper Plane
Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, amaro and lemon — a modern classic that's bitter, bright and balanced.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml bourbon
- ◆30 ml aperol
- ◆30 ml amaro
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all four equal parts with ice.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Amaro Nonino is the classic choice — it gives the drink its backbone.
Garnish — None
Long Island Iced Tea
Five spirits, lemon and a splash of cola — no tea, all trouble.
Ingredients
- ◆15 ml vodka
- ◆15 ml gin
- ◆15 ml white rum
- ◆15 ml tequila
- ◆15 ml triple sec
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆30 ml simple syrup
- ◆to top cola
Method
- 1Shake everything except the cola with ice.
- 2Strain into an ice-filled highball.
- 3Top with cola for colour and a touch of sweetness.
PRO TIP
The cola is what gives it the iced-tea look — there's no actual tea in it.
Garnish — Lemon wedge
Aviation
Gin, maraschino and a whisper of violette — floral, tart and faintly sky-blue.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆15 ml maraschino liqueur
- ◆5 ml creme de violette
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Go easy on the violette — a few millilitres too many turns it to soap.
Garnish — Brandied cherry
Bee's Knees
Gin, citrus and honey — a Prohibition sour that smooths every rough edge.
Ingredients
- ◆52 ml gin
- ◆10 ml honey syrup
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆22 ml orange juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Use honey syrup (honey cut with warm water), not raw honey — it won't shake in cold.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Gin Basil Smash
Gin smashed with fresh basil and lemon — herbaceous, vivid green and modern.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml gin
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆22 ml simple syrup
- ◆10 leaves basil
Method
- 1Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- 2Shake vigorously to bruise the basil.
- 3Double-strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice.
PRO TIP
A modern German classic — the basil should perfume the whole drink.
Garnish — Basil sprig
Clover Club
Gin, raspberry and lemon under a blush-pink foam — pretty, tart and far older than it looks.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml raspberry syrup
- ◆1 egg white
Method
- 1Dry-shake everything without ice to build the foam.
- 2Add ice and shake again until cold.
- 3Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Real raspberry syrup, not grenadine — this drink predates the pink-drink stigma.
Garnish — Fresh raspberries
Southside
A minted gin sour — like a mojito's sharper, gin-drinking cousin.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml gin
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆6 leaves mint
Method
- 1Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- 2Shake hard to break up the mint.
- 3Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Double-strain so no mint shards end up in the glass.
Garnish — Mint leaf
Gin Fizz
Short, shaken and effervescent — a gin sour lengthened with a splash of soda.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆10 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml club soda
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup hard with ice.
- 2Strain into a chilled glass with no ice.
- 3Top with cold soda.
PRO TIP
Unlike a Collins, a Fizz is served short and without ice in the glass.
Garnish — Lemon wheel
Ramos Gin Fizz
Gin, citrus, cream and orange-flower whipped to a towering cloud — the famous two-minute shake.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml lime juice
- ◆30 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml heavy cream
- ◆1 egg white
- ◆3 dashes orange flower water
- ◆2 drops vanilla extract
- ◆to top club soda
Method
- 1Shake everything except the soda with ice for a full two minutes.
- 2Double-strain, return to the shaker, and hard-shake again without ice.
- 3Strain into a highball and top slowly with soda to lift the foam.
PRO TIP
The long shake is the whole point — it builds the signature standing foam.
Garnish — None
Corpse Reviver No. 2
Equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet and lemon with an absinthe rinse — a bright, dangerous eye-opener.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆30 ml cointreau
- ◆30 ml lillet blanc
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆1 dash absinthe
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
PRO TIP
Just a dash of absinthe — too much and it bulldozes everything else.
Garnish — Orange zest
Trinidad Sour
An upside-down sour built on a full pour of Angostura, softened by orgeat and rye.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml angostura bitters
- ◆30 ml orgeat
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml rye whiskey
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Yes — a full 45 ml of bitters as the base. The orgeat tames it beautifully.
Garnish — None
New York Sour
A whiskey sour crowned with a float of red wine — dramatic-looking and surprisingly harmonious.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml rye whiskey
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆22 ml simple syrup
- ◆few drops egg white
- ◆15 ml red wine
Method
- 1Shake whiskey, lemon and syrup with ice.
- 2Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- 3Float the red wine over the back of a spoon.
PRO TIP
A dry, fruity red floats best and bleeds down beautifully.
Garnish — None
Between the Sheets
A Sidecar split between rum and cognac — boozy, citrusy and dangerously smooth.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml white rum
- ◆30 ml cognac
- ◆30 ml triple sec
- ◆20 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Cointreau is the classic choice for the triple sec.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Lemon Drop Martini
Vodka, lemon and orange liqueur with a sugared rim — tart candy in a glass.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml vodka
- ◆20 ml triple sec
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Sugar the rim of a chilled coupe.
- 2Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 3Double-strain into the glass.
PRO TIP
Citron vodka pushes the lemon even further.
Garnish — Sugar rim and lemon twist
John Collins
The original tall gin cooler — lemon, sugar and soda over plenty of ice.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml club soda
Method
- 1Build all ingredients in an ice-filled highball.
- 2Stir gently.
PRO TIP
Made with Old Tom gin it becomes a Tom Collins.
Garnish — Lemon slice and cherry
Russian Spring Punch
Vodka, cassis and lemon topped with sparkling wine — a fizzy, berry-bright cooler.
Ingredients
- ◆25 ml vodka
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml creme de cassis
- ◆10 ml simple syrup
- ◆to top prosecco
Method
- 1Shake everything except the sparkling wine with ice.
- 2Strain into an ice-filled tall glass.
- 3Top with prosecco or Champagne.
PRO TIP
A Dick Bradsell creation — the same mind behind the Espresso Martini.
Garnish — Blackberries and lemon
White Lady
Gin, orange liqueur and lemon — a crisp, citrus-forward Sidecar that switched spirits.
Ingredients
- ◆40 ml gin
- ◆30 ml triple sec
- ◆20 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Cointreau is the classic choice for the triple sec here.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Pisco Punch
Pisco with pineapple, citrus and a splash of wine — a 19th-century San Francisco legend.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml pisco
- ◆22 ml pineapple juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆30 ml white wine
Method
- 1Lightly muddle a few cloves with the syrup.
- 2Add the remaining ingredients except the wine and shake with ice.
- 3Double-strain into a goblet and float the wine on top.
PRO TIP
A few muddled cloves add the warm spice that defines it.
Garnish — Pineapple
Brandy Crusta
A sugar-crusted brandy sour with maraschino and curaçao — the ancestor of the Sidecar.
Ingredients
- ◆52 ml brandy
- ◆7 ml maraschino liqueur
- ◆1 bar spoon triple sec
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆1 bar spoon simple syrup
- ◆2 dashes aromatic bitters
Method
- 1Sugar-crust the rim of a slim glass and line it with a curl of citrus peel.
- 2Stir all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 3Strain into the prepared glass.
PRO TIP
The wide sugar crust is the signature — take your time rimming it.
Garnish — Sugar rim and citrus peel
Casino
Gin sharpened with maraschino, lemon and orange bitters — bright and bracing.
Ingredients
- ◆40 ml gin
- ◆10 ml maraschino liqueur
- ◆10 ml lemon juice
- ◆2 dashes orange bitters
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain over fresh ice in a chilled rocks glass.
PRO TIP
Old Tom gin is the traditional base if you have it.
Garnish — Lemon zest and cherry
Ve.n.to
Grappa shaken with lemon and chamomile honey — a delicate, floral Italian sour.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml grappa
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆30 ml honey syrup
- ◆few drops egg white
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice.
- 2Strain into a small tumbler filled with ice.
PRO TIP
Use a chamomile-infused honey syrup for the signature floral note.
Garnish — Lemon zest and white grapes
Gold Rush
Bourbon, honey and lemon — a modern whiskey sour with the syrup swapped for honey.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml bourbon
- ◆22 ml honey syrup
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass.
PRO TIP
Honey gives it a rounder, warmer body than simple syrup ever could.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Whiskey Smash
A bourbon sour smashed with mint and lemon — like a julep and a sour had a summer fling.
Ingredients
- ◆6 leaves mint
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml bourbon
Method
- 1Muddle the mint with lemon and syrup.
- 2Add bourbon and ice, shake hard.
- 3Strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass.
PRO TIP
Muddle the mint just enough to release the oils — over-muddling turns it bitter.
Garnish — Mint sprig
Tom Collins
A tall, fizzy gin sour — lemonade with a backbone, built for the porch.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆to top club soda
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice.
- 2Strain into an ice-filled highball.
- 3Top with club soda and stir once.
PRO TIP
Build it tall — the soda is half the drink.
Garnish — Lemon wheel and cherry
Got more than just lemon juice?
Tell us everything on your shelf and we'll find every cocktail you can make.
Open the bar picker ↗