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Learning how to make homemade lemon sour mix is as easy as can be! This mix is used in a ton of classic cocktails like whiskey sour, Daiquiri, Whiskey Smash, and Mai Tais. It is a great addition to your at-home bar or if you are preparing to host a party for family and friends.
This is the best lemon sour recipe!
Sometimes store-bought lemon sour mix is full of artificial flavors, so I think whenever you can make your own, go for it! Especially when it is this simple. Make a big batch using this simple recipe and keep this handy bottle of sour mix in the fridge for whenever you are ready to make drinks; it’ll be ready.
This is especially perfect for when you’re hosting a cocktail party and want to impress your guests by using a homemade sour drink mix!
Quick Look: How to Make Homemade Lemon Sour Mix
- 🍋 What it is: A homemade sour mix of fresh lemon and lime juice stirred into simple syrup.
- ⭐ Why it works: Fresh citrus and real simple syrup taste brighter than store-bought mixes with artificial flavors.
- 💛 Why you’ll love it: One bottle covers whiskey sours, margaritas, lemon drops, and even lemonade.
- ⚠️ What to watch for: Use fresh lemons and limes when you can; bottled juice tastes flatter.
- ❄️ Make ahead: Keeps 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge in a bottle or mason jar.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- This is a quick no-fuss recipe. It takes only a few minutes to make.
- It uses simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. If you don’t have everything, you can find it at your local grocery store!
- Making this recipe at home allows you to customize it to your liking. Make it sweeter, more tangy, or whatever else you prefer.
- This recipe is more budget-friendly because the store-bought version is much more expensive.
- You can use this lemon sour mix in lots of cocktails, so it’s super versatile. It’s also a great starting point for a homemade syrup station. Pair it with this sugar cookie syrup, this brown sugar syrup, or this white mocha sauce for your coffee drinks too.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this drink mixer. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient measurements.
- Water: This, combined with the sugar, is used to make homemade simple syrup
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works great. We’ll use part sugar and part water to make the simple syrup.
- Lemon juice and Lime Juice: Fresh citrus juice will make our sour mix taste much better! Fresh limes and lemons pair so well together, too!
How to Make Lemon Sour Mix
- Dissolve the sugar. Pour the white sugar and water into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the citrus, cool, and strain. Add the lemon juice and fresh lime juice, and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely, then sieve the liquid into a storage container, such as a bottle or mason jar, and store it for later.
Expert Tips
- Get more juice out of your citrus. Roll the lemons and limes firmly on the counter before cutting, or microwave them for 10 seconds. They’ll release noticeably more juice, so you need fewer of them.
- Don’t boil the juice. Once the lemon and lime juice go in, just stir and take the pan off the heat. Cooking fresh citrus dulls that bright, fresh flavor that makes homemade sour mix worth it.
- Strain out the pulp and seeds. Pour it through a fine mesh sieve before bottling. A clear, smooth sour mix looks better in cocktails and pours easily from a bottle.
- Taste and adjust before bottling. Like it sweeter? Stir in a little more sugar while it’s still warm. Want it more tart? Add another squeeze of lemon. Make it YOUR perfect sour mix!!
- Shake before every use. The citrus can settle to the bottom in the fridge, so give the bottle a quick shake so every drink tastes the same.
- Start with a 2 to 1 ratio for cocktails. For drinks like a whiskey sour, start with 2 parts spirit to 1 part sour mix, then adjust to taste.
- Make a big batch for parties. This recipe doubles or triples easily, so you can bottle enough for a whole night of cocktails before guests arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
Lemon sour mix is a mixture of citrus juice and simple syrup used to add sweet and sour flavor to cocktails, without juicing lemons and measuring sugar every time. This homemade lemon sour mix uses fresh lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, and water, and it doesn’t have any alcohol in it, so it works in both cocktails and mocktails. It’s similar to margarita mix, but margarita mix is usually just lime juice and simple syrup, while lemon sour mix uses both lemon and lime.
Store homemade lemon sour mix in a sealed glass bottle or mason jar in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. Give it a shake before each use, since the citrus can settle to the bottom.
Of course! Grapefruit juice and orange juice are both delicious additions to lemon sour mix. You can also try blood oranges, key limes, yuzu, or even tangerines for a fun twist.
Lemon sour mix works in so many classic cocktails, including whiskey sours, Boston sours, New York sours, amaretto sours, lemon drop martinis, Tom Collins, Vodka Collins, rum cocktails, and frozen mango margaritas. For a non-alcoholic option, stir it into homemade lemonade or shake it into a batch of creamy lemonade. I did this and it turned out so good!
Fresh lemon and lime juice give lemon sour mix the brightest, best flavor, but bottled lemon juice works as a substitute if you don’t have fresh citrus on hand. Just know the flavor will be a little flatter.
More Lemonade Recipe Favorites
If you tried this Homemade Lemon Sour Mix or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments! I love hearing from you!
How to Make Lemon Sour Mix
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup lime juice
Instructions
- Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves.1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water
- Add in the lemon juice and the lime juice and stir to combine.1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup lime juice
- Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely.
- Sieve the liquid into your storage container, either a bottle or a mason jar and store for later.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
