Ever since the invention of the Gin & Tonic, there has been debate and discussion on what is the best garnish to use. The two main contenders are lemon (Citrus limon) and lime (Citrus latifolia or Citrus aurantiifolia), although there is also a compromise, known as “The Evans,” which uses both.

Whilst the default garnish for an American Gin & Tonic is lime, the citrus garnish for a Martini is often lemon. This shows that both of the fruit flavors work well with juniper spirits. This is not only because of the common use of citrus as a botanical (including lemon and lime, but also including other species, ranging from Buddah’s Palm to Pomelo), but also because another popular ingredient — coriander seed — often adds a dry, citrus flavor.

In the UK, there is a closer 50/50 split between the preference of lemons or limes. Lemons used to dominate, but following the release of Tanqueray 10 and a new marketing campaign from Gordon’s (the best selling gin in the UK) that linked lime to the color of their bottle, lime has made up some ground. Go to a British pub, however, and you’re almost guaranteed to get the more traditional lemon.

It is worth noting that, whilst the most popular citrus botanicals in Europe are dried lemon and orange (usually from the Mediterranean), in the US, lemon and lime are far more popular and can also be used whole or as fresh peels.

How do limes differ from lemons?

A look at their chemical composition shows that lemons, pound for pound, contain around 50% more sugar than limes. This makes limes, especially Key Limes, more sour and therefore more palatable when used to balance out sweet tonic water (made with high fructose corn syrup) or the more contemporary, less juniper-forward gins, which have a greater focus on sweet spice or floral notes. This goes some way to explain the continued popularity of the lemon as a garnish in the UK; as British tonic waters are less sweet and British gins are typically dryer in style.

This contrast is what gives a Gin & Tonic its crispness and, when you consider the fashion of squeezing juice from a citrus wedge directly into the drink, the difference will be even more pronounced. At the same time, lemon, with its extra sweetness, lends itself more to exceptionally dry or even slightly bitter gins, where the sourness of lime would make the drink a little overpowering.

Of course, no-one suggests that the use of lime to garnish drinks is new — it isn’t. In fact, an advert for Gilbey’s Gin from 1936 contains a recipe for a Gin & Tonic as served at the Shepherd’s Bar in Cairo, which offers drinkers the choice of either lemon or lime.

In some ways, the two-sided argument of lemon vs. lime is a bit distracting and it would probably be good to move away from it; a thought shared by the 1936 recipe, giving the drinker the freedom to choose their own garnish. This attitude is actually shared by a lot of distillers, both in the US and in Europe; they may make a recommendation on garnish, but few are prescriptive, instead encouraging people to experiment with their product. “After all,” as one distiller stated, “once they [the consumer] have bought it, it’s their gin to do with as they please.”.

As for me, I recently did an experiment where I compared two gins (based on the same recipe, with the exception of one being made with citrus and the other without) in seven Gin & Tonics, the only variable being the garnish used. The results were fascinating and clearly demonstrated the difference that a garnish can make. Did I prefer lemon or lime?
Neither — I’ll take grapefruit.