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FruitAlcohol-freeHigh confidenceStandard, well-documented cocktail ingredient.

Whole Lemon (wedges)

Fresh lemon cut into wedges and muddled whole, releasing both juice and aromatic peel oils together. This produces a fuller, slightly more bitter citrus character than juice alone, similar to how whole lime wedges are used in a Caipirinha.

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Common uses

  • muddled whole in built or muddled drinks for peel oils and juice together

Buying & storage

A few days: Good for a few days refrigerated, then noticeably duller. Worth planning a second drink around rather than throwing away.

Storage: store fresh lemons at room temperature for a few days, or refrigerate for longer

Before it goes

Use up whole lemon (wedges)

Ranked by how much of it each drink uses and how little else it needs — the ones at the top will not send you back to the shop.

  • Whiskey Smash

    Uses 15ml. Also needs bourbon, fresh mint leaves, simple syrup.

Recipes

Cocktails containing this ingredient

Swap it

Possible substitutions