Balance Overly Sweet Drinks With One Kitchen Staple

Imagining the perfect margarita without the lime or a Sprite without the citrus is almost impossible. Sweet and sour is one of the most iconic and long-lasting flavor duos. For instance, the history of sweet and sour sauce extends as far back as the late 1880s. A touch of acidity is necessary in so many of your favorite sweet drinks — and when sweet is the only flavor present, it's not so pleasant. If you find yourself with a way-too-sweet drink, turn to the simple kitchen staple of lemon juice to help fix it.

Lemons are one of the most common citrus fruits found in American kitchens. They provide acidity and tasting notes that are fresh, clean, bright, and a little floral. If you think about it, lemon juice is present in many of your favorite sweetened drinks, including lemonade, Arnold Palmers, and cocktails, like a lemon drop martini (even though it's not really a martini).

A slice of lemon or lemon juice won't literally eliminate the sugars in a sweet drink, but it will taste like the sugar content is lower. Sweetness on its own is pretty basic, but the sourness and acidity of lemon is an easy way to bring complexity to a drink while balancing sweetness. It works the other way around too: Drinks with just lemon juice are not so palatable on their own, but the flavor notes of lemon can be appreciated more when combined with sweetness.

Adding slices of citrus to a beverage makes for a pretty garnish, but this is not the best way to maximize the acidity. Juicing, whether by hand or juicing equipment, is the best way to use lemon for a sweet drink. To draw out the juices easily, use this hack to warm up sliced citrus in the microwave.

Not much juice is needed to come through in a beverage or to balance out sweet flavors. For cocktails, a general rule of thumb to follow is to add ¼ ounce of lemon juice. This is a good starting point — if you want to balance out a super sugary drink or crave acidity, you'll likely want to add more. If you're out at a bar or restaurant, it's easier than you think to fix a too-sweet-drink situation. If the beverage has a somewhat tolerable sweetness and you don't want to send it back, try asking for a few slices of lemon or even just a shot of lemon juice to add to it.

Can you use other types of citrus outside of lemon? Sure! Limes usually taste sharper and more bitter, while oranges have more of a standout flavor in drinks but are less acidic. Grapefruits are another good option for acidity, with a beautifully colored juice providing a bitter yet floral flavor.