What is Orange Juice?

Orange juice appears in a smaller set of classics than lemon or lime — the Screwdriver (vodka and orange), the Blood and Sand (Scotch, cherry liqueur, sweet vermouth, orange), and various tiki drinks. Freshly squeezed juice is preferable when orange is a main ingredient.

Because sweet orange is low in acid, recipes that already contain liqueur or vermouth often need a cut of lemon, a bitter (Campari), or a smaller orange pour to keep the drink from tasting like breakfast.

Sweet citrus, low acidity relative to lemon or lime, and a pulpy texture if unstrained. Easy to make a drink flabby if orange is the only citrus, because there is not enough acid to structure a sour. Fresh juice smells of orange; carton juice from concentrate is flatter and more cooked.

Hotel-bar and brunch culture of the 20th century poured a great deal of orange juice into spirits. Some of those drinks are structurally sound (Blood and Sand balances orange against Scotch and cherry); many are simply spirit-and-juice.

Orange as a garnish oil (the peel) is a separate ingredient with a different chemistry.

Squeeze fresh when the juice is a principal ingredient. Pair with whiskey, Campari, or rum rather than adding it to every sour. If the rest of the recipe is already sweet, reduce the orange or add lemon.

Strain heavy pulp if you want a cleaner texture in a short drink.