The Best Type Of Cocktail Lime Juice, According To An Expert

The sheer versatility of lime juice extends from the kitchen — where it can be employed in everything from a Cuban mojo marinade to a comforting Key lime pie — to the cocktail bar. If you are mixing up a batch of lime-forward cocktails, however, should you go the way of convenience and pick up a bottle of lime juice at the grocery store, or instead slice up some limes and freshly squeeze them yourself?

According to Total Wine & More chief mixologist and spirits educator Molly Horn, there's no competition. "Almost all the time," she says, "it is best to use fresh lime juice, as it has a much brighter and naturally zesty-sweet flavor that is less overpowering than shelf stable options." That said, Horn notes this advice depends on the quality of your limes, urging cocktail-makers to consider where the limes came from, their ripeness or lack thereof, and how in season they are.

Going for fresh lime juice doesn't mean sacrificing convenience entirely, however. If you have some limes which are not yet perfectly ripe, but are not in need of all their juice at once, Horn suggests juicing them all anyway and freezing whatever's left in an ice cube tray before moving it into a Tupperware. "Depending on your ice cube tray," Horn explains, "two cubes would be more than enough for a couple cocktails, so you can just pop two out at the beginning of the day and put them in a container in your fridge in the morning and have fresh lime juice ready by cocktail hour!"

Probably the most famous lime-centric cocktail is the margarita, and it cannot be overstated how much the cocktail benefits from eschewing store-bought margarita mix and instead utilizing fresh lime juice (making one yourself is also a better bet than gambling on a chain restaurant margarita). Lime also provides a pleasingly zesty complement to the rich burn of whiskey in cocktails like the Kentucky Mule or a Lime Whisky Sour.

Horn recommends a classic to highlight the citrus. "With really great limes, you can't go wrong with a classic Daiquiri," Horn says. "Two ounces of a quality white rum, such as Planteray 3 Stars White Rum, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, and ¾ ounce simple syrup  — give it a hard shake on some nice big ice cubes and you have a perfectly balanced zesty-tart-bright cocktail. Unlike lemon juice, which is mainly citric acid, lime juice is a combination of citrus and malic acid (like in a tart green apple) – meaning it has a bit more depth in the mid-palate that works really well with the sweetness of white rum!" 

Lime juice has the added benefit of being good for you. We won't lie, the health benefits of including lime juice in your next cocktail will be slightly undercut by the alcohol, but you may nevertheless take comfort in the vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals in limes  that can help boost your immune system and promote healthy digestion.