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Fruits

Lime

  • Fruit
  • 37 drinks

Is this for me?

Choose this if…

  • ✓You want bright character in your drink.

Skip if…

  • ✗A substitute better matches your flavour goal.

At a Glance

5 kcalCalories
0.3gSugar
1.6gCarbs
FruitType
37Recipes

Ingredient nutrition is approximate and varies by brand, recipe and preparation.

What is Lime?

Lime is used in cocktails as fruit, garnish, wedge, wheel or juice source. It gives drinks green-citrus aroma, fresh acidity and a visual garnish, especially in tequila, rum, tropical and refreshing mixed drinks.

What does Lime taste like?

Bright, tart and zesty, with green citrus aroma and sharper acidity than orange. Lime pairs with tequila, rum, gin, vodka, mint, coconut, pineapple, ginger, chili and soda water.

Lime profile

Mixability: HighSweetBeginner-friendly: High

Best used for: sours, citrus cocktails, refreshing drinks

  • Appears in 37 recipes
  • Works in both cocktails and mocktails
  • Has 5 common substitutes

Ways to use lime

Cocktails (29)Mocktails (5)Punches (3)

Lime is used in cocktails as fruit, garnish, wedge, wheel or juice source. It gives drinks green-citrus aroma, fresh acidity and a visual garnish, especially in tequila, rum, tropical and refreshing mixed drinks.

Flavour profile

Citrus · primaryLime · primaryTart · secondary

Recipes using this

Observed quantities

Observed in single-serve recipes: middle half 15.00–30.00 ml; median 22.18 ml.

In the measured recipes in this dataset — from 31 observed uses.

Scoped nutrition

Calories (per 100 ml)
30
Sugar (per 100 ml)
1.7 g
Carbs (per 100 ml)
10.5 g

Ingredient nutrition is approximate and varies by brand, recipe and preparation.

Diet compatibility

  • Gluten-FreeCompatible
  • KetoNot compatible
  • Low-CarbNot compatible
  • Low-SugarNot compatible
  • VeganCompatible
  • VegetarianCompatible

Based on the listed ingredient only — a public recipe facet, not medical, allergy or coeliac advice. Specific brands and preparation can change compatibility.

Commonly observed with

IceSoda WaterLemonSugarLight Rum

Observed co-use in the reviewed recipe corpus — not a universal pairing recommendation.

Trust & methodology

Canonical ingredient/component authority assembled from reviewed identity, recipe, flavour, nutrition, diet and substitution evidence. Observed quantities and co-use patterns are descriptive, not prescriptions or universal recommendations.

Evidence last updated: 2026-07-16T02:53:30.320595+00:00

Substitutes

How to swap Lime

When replacing Lime, match the role it plays in the recipe. Check whether it adds strength, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, aroma, garnish or texture before choosing a substitute.

When to choose it

When to choose Lime

Choose Lime when its role fits the recipe: base, modifier, sweetener, acid, garnish or texture. Check related drinks before swapping it with a similar ingredient.

Skip if

Do not choose Lime when...

Do not choose Lime only because it sounds similar to another ingredient. Check its sweetness, strength, texture and recipe role before substituting.

What it is

What does Lime do in drinks?

Lime is a Fruit used to adjust flavor, texture, aroma or balance. Its role depends on the recipe.

Drink counts and recipe data are based on published WhatDrink recipes. Figures may vary as new recipes are added.

Lime — common questions

How many cocktails are made with Lime?
There are 37 cocktail recipes featuring Lime in the WhatDrink database.
What are the most popular cocktails made with Lime?
Top-ranked cocktails made with Lime include Limeade, Apple Rum Rickey, Bible Belt. Rankings are based on recipe quality and data completeness.
What type of ingredient is Lime?
Lime is classified as a fruit in the WhatDrink ingredient database.
What do the sensory profile dimensions mean?
Sensory profile dimensions describe key flavour characteristics: Intensity (light to bold), Sweetness (dry to sweet), Mixability (how versatile it is in cocktails) and Beginner-Friendly (acquired taste to easy intro). Each scale helps you compare Lime with similar ingredients at a glance.
How do I use the Lime sensory profile to find drinks I like?
If you enjoy the intensity and flavour profile of Lime, look for other ingredients or cocktails with a similar profile. Compare Intensity, Sweetness and Mixability to find substitutes or discover new cocktails in the same flavour family.