Lemon Sour is a classic Japanese cocktail: ① lemon + ② distilled spirit + ③ soda water + ④ sugar. Just mix these four ingredients and you get an instantly refreshing drink. In recent years, as consumer tastes shift, more and more Japanese distilleries are experimenting with sugar-free Lemon Sours. However, when you remove the sugar, the flavor often becomes rather flat—there’s lemon and alcohol, but something seems missing.

This liqueur was created to solve exactly that problem! The secret? Adding bergamot orange to the mix. Bergamot, native to Italy, despite its “lemon” name, is actually a bitter citrus fruit not meant to be eaten on its own. When blended into the lemon liqueur, bergamot adds a new dimension, giving this sugar-free Lemon Sour a bold and layered flavor. That’s why the distillery named it “Sugar-Free #not too dry.”

The official recommendation is to mix 1 part liqueur with 4 parts soda water to make a Lemon Sour—but let’s first try it neat. Perhaps thanks to the bergamot, the aroma is like a blend of citrus and lemon zest. On the palate, a burst of sharp lemon acidity hits the tongue, then the gentle bitterness of citrus peel mingles with the tartness, lingering throughout the mouth. While tasty, the acidity is quite strong 😲, so we suggest following the official guideline and enjoying it with soda.

Once mixed, the lemon aroma instantly becomes brighter and more refreshing. The acidity softens, and the interplay of bubbles and lemon is perfectly seamless. The finish features a touch of citrus zest bitterness that lifts the entire experience. With zero sweetness, you can drink glass after glass with no guilt—pair it with rich foods or snacks for an unbeatable combo!