Best Substitutes for Bitter lemon
Out of Bitter lemon? Here are the best alternatives that work in cocktail recipes.
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Original Ingredient
Bitter lemon
Other
Tart, bitter lemon nose with quinine edge and citrus carbonation. Palate is bracingly bitter with lemon sourness and effervescent lift. Long, bitter-sour finish with astringent citrus character.
Recommended Substitutes
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Tonic water
Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
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Lemon-lime soda
Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
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Lemonade
Use as a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
General Substitution Tips
- → Match the alcohol level: a 40% spirit needs a similarly strong replacement or adjust volume.
- → For liqueurs, dilute spirits + simple syrup can replicate sweetness and proof.
- → Citrus substitutions: lemon and lime are mostly interchangeable at a 1:1 ratio.
- → For bitters, Angostura is the most neutral substitute for most other aromatic bitters.