By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 4
414 cal · 25 min
Kaffir Lime Cordial
Recipe GLPRd86416fb18c2b3
A vibrant and aromatic cordial concentrate made with fragrant kaffir lime leaves and fresh lime juice. Combine sugar with water and kaffir lime ribbons to create a fragrant syrup, then blend in bright lime juice. Dilute with still or sparkling water and ice to serve a refreshing, sophisticated drink.
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Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
8 kaffir lime leaves, cut into ribbons
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Still or sparkling water and ice, for serving
Directions
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves completely, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the kaffir lime leaf ribbons to the sugar syrup. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally to infuse the flavors.
Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the syrup to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Stir in the fresh lime juice until fully combined.
Strain the cordial through a fine mesh sieve to remove the kaffir lime leaf pieces, pressing gently to extract any remaining syrup. Transfer to a clean bottle or jar.
To serve, fill a glass with ice and add 2-3 tablespoons of cordial, then top with still or sparkling water according to taste preference. Stir and serve immediately.
Comments
Kaffir lime leaves are a hard stop for Charlotte shoppers—not carried at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, or Kroger banners, so you are looking at an Asian grocery store trip, likely Kwan Oriental Market or similar across town. The cordial itself is dirt-cheap once you have the leaves: maybe $1.50 total for sugar, water, and regular limes. The stated 25 minutes is honest for simmering and cooling. This is a same-night drink concentrate that keeps reasonably in the fridge and makes a small batch; it suits someone already planning an Asian market run or comfortable ordering online, and rewards the effort with a bright, aromatic finish that standard lemonade cannot touch.
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