Vietnamese Salted Lemonade: A Sweet-Salty Drink Tipped for 2027 (Plus a Quick Version)

When food forecasters look ahead, they don't just track dishes. They watch drinks too. In its 2027 Trends Report, published on 7 October 2026, Datassential added a new list of beverages to know for the future. One of them is Vietnamese lemonade made with salted preserved lemons or limes.

In Vietnam this drink is known as chanh muối, which simply means "salted citrus". It's sweet, sour and gently salty all at once, and incredibly refreshing. Here's the background, the traditional preserving method and a quick version you can make today.

Why sweet and salty works

A pinch of salt in a sweet drink can seem odd, but it makes sense. Salt softens bitterness and makes sweet and sour flavours taste rounder and brighter. The same principle explains salted caramel and why some people salt their watermelon. In hot climates, a lightly salted drink also feels especially restoring after time in the sun.

The trend fits a broader appetite for savoury, unexpected flavours in drinks. Bartenders are increasingly working ingredients such as pickles, vinegars and other condiments into cocktails, a movement the trade press has nicknamed "condiment cocktails".

Datassential's other beverages to know include koji milk, Korean makgeolli and the Mexican cantarito. Global, bold and often fermented flavours are leading the way.

Part 1: Traditional salted preserved limes

This is a project that takes time, but the jar keeps for months and gets better with age.

Ingredients

• 1 kg small limes or lemons, unwaxed if possible
• About 200 g coarse sea salt
• A clean, sterilised glass jar with a tight lid

Method

1. Clean the fruit. Scrub the limes well and dry them completely. Any water left on them can encourage spoilage.
2. Blanch briefly (optional). Some cooks dip the limes in boiling water for about 30 seconds to soften the skins, then dry them thoroughly.
3. Salt them. Roll each lime in salt, then pack them tightly into the jar, scattering more salt between layers. Finish with a thick layer of salt on top.
4. Sun and wait. Close the jar and leave it somewhere warm and bright. Over the following weeks, the limes will release juice, form a brine and slowly turn golden-brown and soft.
5. Be patient. Traditional versions are left for several weeks to months. They're ready when the skins are soft and the brine is amber.

Always use clean, dry utensils to take limes from the jar. Discard the batch if you see fuzzy mould or notice an off smell.

Part 2: The drink (with preserved limes)

Makes: 1 large glass

• 1–2 salted preserved limes, plus 1 tbsp of their brine
• 1–2 tbsp sugar or simple syrup, to taste
• 250 ml cold water or sparkling water
• Plenty of ice

1. Place the preserved limes in a tall glass and lightly crush them with a spoon or muddler.
2. Add the brine and sugar, then stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Fill with ice and top with water or sparkling water. Stir, taste and adjust the sweetness.

Part 3: Quick salted lemonade for today

Don't have weeks to wait? This shortcut captures the sweet-salty spirit in five minutes. It won't have the deep, mellow, slightly fermented flavour of the real thing, but it's delicious in its own right.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 120 ml freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice (about 5–6 limes)
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 80–100 g sugar, or to taste
• ¾–1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 litre cold still or sparkling water
• Ice, lime wheels and mint to serve

Method

1. In a jug, stir the lime juice, zest, sugar and salt together until the sugar and salt dissolve.
2. Add the cold water and stir well.
3. Taste: it should be sweet first, then sour, with a gentle salty finish. Adjust with more sugar, salt or juice as needed.
4. Pour over ice and garnish with lime wheels and mint.

Serving ideas

• Pair it with spicy food. The sweet-salty balance is especially good with chilli-heavy dishes.
• Make it fizzy with sparkling water for a lively, soda-like drink.
• Add a few slices of fresh ginger or a bruised lemongrass stalk to the jug for extra fragrance.
• Freeze it into ice lollies for a grown-up summer treat.

Choosing your citrus

In Vietnam, small, thin-skinned limes are typically used for preserving. Elsewhere, any small, juicy limes or thin-skinned lemons will work. Avoid fruit with thick, spongy pith, which can turn bitter. Unwaxed fruit is ideal because you'll be eating or steeping the peel. If you can only find waxed fruit, scrub it well under hot water first. For the quick lemonade, a mix of limes and lemons gives a nicely rounded flavour: limes for sharpness and fragrance, lemons for a softer, sweeter tartness.

Turning it into a mocktail or cocktail

For a sophisticated alcohol-free drink, shake the quick lemonade base with ice and a splash of cold jasmine or green tea, then strain into a chilled glass. For grown-ups, a measure of white rum or gin works well with the sweet-salty citrus. Keep the salt subtle so the drink stays bright rather than briny.

A note on salt

The quick recipe contains a modest amount of salt spread across four servings. If you're watching your sodium intake for health reasons, start with half the salt and adjust to taste.

The takeaway

Vietnamese salted lemonade shows how a pinch of salt can transform something familiar. Make a jar of preserved limes if you love a slow kitchen project, or stir up the quick version tonight. Either way, you'll be ahead of one of the drinks forecasters are watching for 2027.