Post #566094 by arriano on Mon, Nov 22, 2010 2:08 PM

Reviving an old thread here to hopefully get some perspective on what limes are supposed to be used in cocktail drinks. Maybe it doesn't matter a lot taste wise. But when you see Trader Vic's recipe for a Mai Tai that calls for "Juice from one lime" you have to wonder if its juice from a Key lime or a Persian lime. It would certainly make a difference in the amount of juice that's supposed to be in a Mai Tai.

Using the limes' various pseudonyms makes it even more confusing. Key limes are also known as "Mexican limes" or "Bartender's limes." That said, I would think that a "Bartender's lime" would be named for the reason that it was used commonly by bartenders to make drinks.

But "Persian limes" are also known as "Tahiti limes" (even though the variety was created in California), which makes me wonder if it was called "Tahiti lime" because it was grown on that island or if because it was used in tropical cocktails.

Anyone out there with some good knowledge of lime usage in cocktails from the 1930s on?