The almighty "super juice", a fortified form of citrus juice created by bartenders, has stirred quite a sensation in the cocktail kingdom. Its creation involves scaling an off-the-shelf citrus juice's liquid volume by approximately four to eight times, extending its shelf life significantly without compromising its taste.

'Super juice', a term coined by Nickle Morris, a bartender from the now-defunct bar Expo in Louisville, Kentucky in 2020, is produced using citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruits. This method, while it requires some delicate effort like the use of a digital kitchen scale and food-standard citric and malic acids, has prompted numerous liquor savants globally to reproduce and analyze the strategy.

While it may sound daunting, assembling your batch of super juice is achievable if you possess some kitchen basics. However, the effort and need for specific ingredients might be a bit much for the home bartender considering the affordability of citrus fruits.

Regardless of your investment in creating super juice, its science is fascinating. It’s a window into how citrus juice improvises the flavor compositions of our favorite cocktails.

To whip up super juice, you peel your citrus choice, apply a predetermined quantity of malic and citric acid to the rinds, combine this mixture with water, and add juice from the de-peeled fruit. Once the solids are filtered out, you're left with a concoction that mirrors the taste of fresh juice and boasts a longer shelf life.

What makes this mix unique is the enhanced yield from the citrus peels that brings out a more potent flavor profile by using the citrus oils present in the peel. Limes, in particular, bring with them their own set of challenges due to their tough peels and bitter pith.

Citrus acidity plays a crucial role in achieving balanced cocktails. While lemons and limes bring in more acidity compared to oranges and grapefruit, this difference plays a critical role in maintaining cocktail balance by preventing overly sweet or flat flavor profiles.

Morris's super juice recipe leverages the citric and malic acids found in citrus fruits, redefining the significance they hold in crafting cocktails. These powdered acids are precisely sprinkled over the peels, in varying amounts depending on the type of citrus. The powder helps extract oils from the peels, making them moist and slightly viscous in a process Morris named 'oleo citrate', the cornerstone of super juice production.

Once blended with water and strained, these elements result in a sturdy super juice concentrate, which can substitute fresh juice and can be stored in the fridge.

Since Morris unveiled his recipe, super juice has been subject to rigorous discussion and alterations within the bartender community. Debate ranges from the authenticity of its flavor to the specifics of its production, with suggestions for changing acid ratios, altering the sequence of steps or adding thickening agents, such as sugar or acacia powder.

So, is it something you want to take a crack at? If you look forward to a culinary experiment or dabbling in kitchen chemistry, why not give super juice a try and discover your preferred blend?