Ingredients
- 4–6dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
- 30 mllime cordial (Bickford’s or Rose’s)
- about 250 ml chilled lemonade (Australian lemonade, that is a clear lemon squash such as Schweppes or Sprite)
- cubed ice, to fill
Glass and garnish
- 1highball or schooner glass, chilled
- 1lemon or lime wheel
- a straw
Directions
- Chill the glass, either in the freezer for 10 minutes or by filling it with ice and water while you gather everything else, then tipping it out.
- Shake 4–6 dashes of Angostura into the empty dry glass. More than six and the drink turns medicinal and bitter; fewer than four and the colour never develops.
- Roll and swirl the glass so the bitters coat the inside walls all the way up. This is the step that gives the drink its pink blush and its aroma, and pouring bitters on top at the end instead is the common shortcut that produces a muddy layered mess.
- Pour in the lime cordial and swirl again so it dissolves the bitters clinging to the glass into a syrupy pink base.
- Fill the glass right to the top with cubed ice, packing it in. A full glass of ice melts more slowly than a half-full one and keeps the drink from going flat and watery.
- Top slowly with chilled lemonade, pouring down the side of the glass or over the back of a bar spoon so you keep the carbonation.
- Give it one gentle lift with a bar spoon, drawing from the bottom to the top just once, to marry the cordial without knocking the fizz out. The finished drink should be a clear rosy amber with a fine bead.
- Garnish with a lemon or lime wheel dropped in, add a straw and serve immediately, while it is still lively.
Technique
- Australian lemonade means a clear, sweet, carbonated lemon soft drink, not the cloudy still lemon-and-sugar drink sold under that name in North America. Using the American kind gives a completely different and much sweeter result.
- Lemon, lime and bitters is the standard non-alcoholic order at an Australian pub, and it is the drink handed to the designated driver, though Angostura is itself around 45% alcohol, so the few dashes leave a trace, roughly 0.1 ml of pure alcohol, which is why it is not strictly alcohol-free.
- Proportions vary by bar but the ratio of about one part cordial to eight parts lemonade is the common house measure. Sweeten to taste, then adjust with more bitters rather than more cordial.
- Everything must be cold before it is combined. Warm lemonade foams over and the drink loses its sparkle in seconds.
Substitutions
- No lime cordial? Use 20 ml fresh lime juice with 15 ml sugar syrup, which is sharper and fresher but less of the pub original.
- Peychaud’s bitters can stand in for Angostura at a pinch, giving a redder colour and a more aniseed note.
- Soda water in place of lemonade, with an extra 10 ml of cordial, makes a drier version.
Variations
- LLB with a splash of soda, cut back on sugar for a longer, drier drink.
- Made with dry ginger ale instead of lemonade, a common variation in Queensland.
- The alcoholic version, built the same way over 30 ml gin or vodka.
History
An Australian and New Zealand pub fixture since at least the mid-twentieth century, ordered by drivers and non-drinkers alike.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lemon, Lime and Bitters?
Lemon, Lime and Bitters is a cocktail from Australia: lemonade, lime cordial and a dash of Angostura; the standard pub soft drink. An Australian and New Zealand pub fixture since at least the mid-twentieth century, ordered by drivers and non-drinkers alike.
How long does Lemon, Lime and Bitters take to make?
Lemon, Lime and Bitters takes 3 min of preparation and 1 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 glass. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Lemon, Lime and Bitters?
Yes, within limits. No lime cordial? Use 20 ml fresh lime juice with 15 ml sugar syrup, which is sharper and fresher but less of the pub original. Peychaud’s bitters can stand in for Angostura at a pinch, giving a redder colour and a more aniseed note. Soda water in place of lemonade, with an extra 10 ml of cordial, makes a drier version.
What is the most important thing to get right in Lemon, Lime and Bitters?
Shake 4–6 dashes of Angostura into the empty dry glass. More than six and the drink turns medicinal and bitter; fewer than four and the colour never develops.
