“Cordials can aid in sustainability efforts,” Max Venning notes. “For us, it has become an important part of our day-to-day operations,” he says of his London bar, Three Sheets. “We go through a lot of lemon juice in the bar and are often left with piles of husks.” Unlike the cordial used to make the Lemon & Cardamom Gimlet, which also requires juice, a more general “citrus cordial” uses only the leftover peels, and can be adapted to work with any type of citrus for a cocktail or non-alcoholic drink.
Citrus Cordial
Adapted from Batched & Bottled: Cocktails to Make Ahead by Max and Noel Venning
Ingredients
- 8 ounces leftover citrus husks (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, etc.)
- 8 ounces caster sugar
- 8 ounces water
- citric acid powder, optional (see Editor's Note)
Directions
- Put the spent citrus husks in a bowl and pour the sugar over the husks.
- Muddle the sugar into the citrus to release the oils. Cover and leave it in a cool place, overnight if possible or at least for a few hours.
- Add the water and stir until the sugar is dissolved, then let it rest for an hour or so.
- Strain off the liquid through a coffee filter placed over a funnel into a jug.
- Taste the cordial for acidity. Add citric acid to taste.
- Stir to dissolve.
- Transfer to a 750-ml bottle and seal.
- To serve, mix 2 ounces spirit of choice (Venning recommends vodka or gin) and 1 ounce citrus cordial over ice in a highball glass. Top with soda water.
- Non-alcoholic alternative: Pour 1 1/2 ounces citrus cordial over ice in a highball glass and top with soda water.
Editor's Note
If adding citric acid powder, Venning recommends adding 1 percent of the total weight of the cordial.