Citrus fruits are an essential ingredient in cocktail making. From lemons to limes, oranges to grapefruit, they’re nature’s way of making our drinks extra zesty.
Freshly squeezed juice is the best way to freshen up a recipe, but you can also use citrus flavoured ingredients like cordial, lemonade, soda, syrup or liquors such as Aperol, triple sec and Limoncello. And don’t forget the garnish. A fruit wedge or peel adds a last-minute bit of tang with every sip.
Undeniably refreshing, citrus drinks make excellent summer serves. Whilst different types of oranges lend themselves to festive flavour combinations.
There are so many citrus-forward cocktails to choose from. A Bee’s Knees for instance, is a great prohibition era cocktail made with gin, lemon and honey, while a pisco sour gets its tartness from lime juice. Then there’s a Buck’s Fizz which combines just Champagne and orange juice, and the sophisticated Cosmopolitan which is a mix of vodka, cranberry orange liqueur and fresh lime. The good news is that no matter the citrus fruit, they all go perfectly with the smooth, spiced notes of whisky.
Whether you’re looking for a hot weather sipper or a winter warmer, here’s our favourite citrus mixed drinks to get squeezing with Ballantine’s.
