Step by step
- Start with a measured sour rather than an unmeasured glass of ingredients.
- Taste after shaking, because water and temperature change the balance.
- If too sharp, add a small measured amount of syrup to the next version.
- If too sweet, reduce syrup first. Add citrus only if the drink also needs more acidity.
Common mistake
Lemon, lime, bottled juice and different syrups do not have identical acidity or sweetness. Equal volumes are not always equivalent.
Try it
Try two small non-alcoholic lemon–syrup–water samples with different syrup amounts and compare.
Use the ratio calculator for editable starting points or explore cocktail recipes.