The most important and popular citrus botanical, not just because of its use in making gin, but because of it is also a common garnish choice and key ingredient in many cocktails. The lemon is a hybrid of bitter orange (Citrus x aurantium) and citron (Citrus medica) and likely originated from northeast India or China. Most lemons commonly available at grocers and supermarkets are the Eureka lemon, which has been cultivated so that it flowers throughout the year. Today, lemons are grown in Italy and across the Mediterranean region after being introduced there nearly two thousand years ago. There are also lemon groves in Florida and California in the United States. The juice of the lemon is tart and contains around five percent citric acid. It is commonly used to flavour food and soft drinks, as well as gin cocktails such as the Aviation and White Lady. The peel is full of pockets of essential oil and it is this oil the makes its way into gin during the process of distillation. Between the peel and the flesh of the fruit is a thin layer of white pith, which is bitter and, if used to make gin, adds a somewhat unpleasant flavour. Wedges or wheel of lemon are a common garnish for Gin & Tonics, especially in the UK.
CREDIT: The Gin Dictionary author David T Smith published by Mitchell Beazley an imprint of Octopus Publishing Ltd
