Why You Should Consider Adding Lemon To Your Coffee

Coffee lovers are always trying out new ingredients in their favorite brews, from commonplace offerings like the iconic pumpkin spice to off-the-wall pairings like green onion scallion lattes. There's now a coffee trend going around that calls for the addition of an ingredient usually squeezed into water rather than java: lemon. If you enjoy both lemon and coffee but have never tried them together, you may be curious whether these two flavors complement or ruin each other. In fact, there's a historical precedent for this pairing, and the interplay between lemon and coffee's flavors might be one that delights your taste buds.

People have been putting lemon in coffee since at least the 1800s, when Mazagran iced coffee — a simple concoction involving strong, water-diluted coffee and, at some point, lemon juice — was created around 1840. In the case of Mazagran, it's unclear precisely when or why the lemon was added, but modern coffee connoisseurs are quick to point out that the synergistic interaction between coffee's bitter notes and the tanginess and acidity of fresh lemon makes it a delightful duo.

Lemon can also be used to improve the flavor of low-quality coffee by masking a bad brew's more unpalatable features with its acidity. That said, if you're willing to give lemon coffee a serious, open-minded try, it's preferable to give the drink every chance of success by using the best coffee available. Otherwise, the lemon notes could be overwhelmed by the overt bitterness of the beans.

You can add lemon to either hot or iced coffee. The current prevailing wisdom calls for the juice of one lemon (about two tablespoons) per cup of joe, but if you're apprehensive about ending up with too-lemony results, you can Goldilocks the ratios until you find the perfect fit. Sweetener is an option but not a necessity.

One option for a customizable sweet and sour hot drink is the espresso Romano (an Italian-American creation rather than a Roman one, despite the name). This is a double shot of espresso given a tangy twist with either a few drops of lemon juice squeezed directly into the espresso, a wedge of lemon dropped into the drink, or by rubbing a lemon wedge along the rim of the cup. For a more intense lemon flavor, incorporate two or all three methods. Another option that yields balanced, flavorful results is Turkish coffee boiled with a few pieces of lemon peel. Stick with the peel if you try out this one; lemon juice in this case makes the drink too sour.

When it comes to iced lemon coffee, the simplest version calls for just mixing lemon juice into cold brewed coffee, but you could also give it a lemon-creamy topping of frothed mascarpone, milk, and lemon juice. Alternatively, for a Mazagran-inspired take, instead of combining your ingredients all at once, mix the lemon juice and sugar into strong, hot coffee. Let it cool a while, then add ice before diluting with water if the flavor is too intense.