Lemon, Lime and Bitters... and Vodka.
I used to be an illegal foreign maid living in a small fishing town on the coast of Western Australia. I was stone broke and had no work visa, so I cleaned this ancient cottage for this rich lady named Catherine for a while.
I started by washing her Jaguar in the middle of the yard under her lemon tree. Then I vacuumed up whatever the damn dogs had chewed into 80 bazillion pieces while Catherine blared "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin, because somewhere she'd gotten the impression that young people liked Ricky Martin and that this would make mopping her bathroom more fun for me. I scrubbed over and under heavy hunks of furniture and dusted her bizarre collection of small animal skulls displayed in the hallway. And I typically finished with some asinine chore like ironing 25 dishtowels.
I got paid a couple twenties, an armload of lemons and a cigarette on the condition that I stay and smoke the cigarette with Catherine on her back porch and talk to her for a while. Aside from the Ricky Martin thing, and the skull collection and the spoiled as hell dogs, Catherine was all right enough to talk to. I left sweaty and gritty and mildly satisfied with the heft of physical labor, instead of the Novocain-drip dissatisfaction of the cube job I'd left in the States. When I finished, I walked along the curve of the Indian Ocean and into the little downtown of Fremantle. It was hotter than hell and I was tired, so on my way to the train I always stopped at the same little alfresco restaurant for a beverage.
Australians have the whole hot-weather-drinks down, and just about the best citrus fruit you can find, so no wonder they don't much mess around with the single-lemon-slice-in-a-G&T nonsense. I ordered a Lemon, Lime and Bitters, which is typically an easy non-alcoholic drink (lemonade, lime cordial, a dash of bitters), but if you put a little more effort into it... substitute club soda for water, add some vodka... it makes an effervescent post-work aperitif.
Ingredients (serves 4)
4 lemons, halved
4 limes, halved
1/2L (2 cups) cold club soda
1/2L (2 cups) cold water
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1 tsp Aromatic Bitters
Crushed ice, to serve
1. Juice half the lemons and half the limes. Slice remaining lemons and limes, and place in a jug.
2. Combine lemon and lime juice, water and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. (Too damn lazy? Sub lemonade and lime cordial.)
3. Pour the lemon-juice mixture over the lemon and lime slices in the jug. Cover and place in the fridge and chill.
4. Over ice, divide bitters among serving glasses. Dump in some vodka--a shot or so.
5. Add 1 part Club Soda to 2 parts lemon/lime mixture. Serve immediately.
by Mary Holland