Lime Cola

It’s a hot summer day and you long for a jolt of caffeine but also for a refreshing, fruity, non-alcoholic drink. This Lime Cola mocktail, which mixes cola with lime juice, satisfies both cravings, and it doesn’t get any simpler than that. 

Freshly squeezed lime juice is best for this recipe, either from key limes or Persian limes. Key limes are more acidic and juicier the Persian limes, which are the most commonly available limes. Both lime varieties work well for this recipe. 

When you squeeze limes, get the most yield out of a fresh lime by following these tricks.

Bottled lime juice is convenient but it is not a good substitute for freshly squeezed juice in this recipe, for several reasons. Bottled lime juice does not have the same bright taste as fresh lime juice, as a lot of the original lime flavor gets lost in the pasteurization process, it tends to have a "canned", flat, and sometimes even bitter taste. It also contains preservatives that tend to give it an off-flavor. Also, some bottled lime juices contain sweetener. 

However, keeping fresh limes on hand all the time for in the event you feel like making this Lime Cola is not always possible. Here’s a good workaround: Buy a bunch of limes, squeeze them, and freeze the juice in ice cube trays, about one tablespoon in each mold. After the juice is solidly frozen, take the cubes out of the tray and store them in a quart-size freezer bag or container. The lime juice ice cubes will keep for in the freezer a few months. Even after thawing, the juice has a much better taste than bottled lime juice. And it doubles as an ice-cube to chill your cola. 

Another option for adding lime flavor to cola is lime cordial which you can buy or make yourself from scratch. However, cordial is a type of syrup so it has a high sugar content and it will make the drink sweeter. Cola brands vary in the amount of sugar they contain so check the bottle or go by taste. If using a very sweet cola, start with only a spritz of lime cordial and taste it before adding more. 

Whichever way to prepare this drink, it is a nice and easy mocktail that can be served to the kids at a summer party while mom and dad have something a little stiffer (maybe a Cuba Libre).