Mazagran Coffee Recipe: How to Make Coffee with Lemon

There’s almost nothing better than lounging at home on a hot day and sipping a tall, cool glass of lemonade. But wait, what if we added coffee? Believe it or not, some enterprising French soldiers tried precisely that, and in doing so, they created the original iced lemon coffee: Mazagran coffee.

Does the combination of coffee and lemon sound strange to you? Have no fear! The tart citrus, honey sweetness, and bold coffee pair wonderfully. This iced coffee is a perfect refreshing drink as you settle into the humid days of summer.

Read on as we guide you through what it is, what the ingredients are, and how to make it.

A few notes:

• Dark roast is the best choice for this drink because its bold flavor holds up well to the lemon and honey. However, a delicate light roast can also yield an interesting result if that is more to your taste.
• You can also use decaf coffee if you plan to enjoy this drink later in the day.

How to Make Mazagran Coffee

Black coffee and lemon juice aren’t the ingredients you’d think to pair together, but in this lemon coffee, they’re a surprisingly delicious match made in heaven – as refreshing as lemon and iced tea but with a bigger caffeine kick.

First invented in 1840 by French soldiers under siege in northern Algeria, this iced lemon coffee recipe is a delicious relic of European history that you can easily enjoy at home (1).

If you’re looking for more coffee recipes from around the world, why not check out our list of various coffee drinks? It features a brown sugar-and-spiced cafe de olla recipe from Mexico, a Brazilian cafezinho, Vietnamese iced coffee, and Viennese coffee from Austria.

Step 1: Brew Your Hot Coffee

For this recipe, feel free to use any brewing method except Turkish coffee. When making it at Home Grounds, we usually opt for the Moka pot, which yields a strong coffee with a full body. A French Press produces a similar result, or you can pull a double shot of espresso and dilute it to 8 ounces with cold water.

You can also vary the roast according to what you like. We prefer a darker roast in this cold coffee beverage, as it stands up well to the lemon and honey.

Once the coffee is brewed, mix in the honey to add a little sweetness. Start with one teaspoon, then add a bit more at a time to suit your taste. Different coffees may have more or less inherent sweetness than others, so don’t be surprised if you need to alter the recipe depending on what you brew.

Let the coffee and honey cool as you prepare the rest of the drink.

Step 2: Freshly Squeeze Your Lemon Juice

Squeeze two tablespoons of lemon juice into a bowl. While the amount of juice varies per lemon, this is most often half a lemon. 

Be sure to roll your lemon over a countertop to make it easier to squeeze. Then, pierce it with a fork and squeeze until it’s juiced. You can strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve to remove all the pulp and seeds.

Alternatively, if you’re entertaining and are making this iced coffee for a crowd, juice your lemons in a stand mixture by mixing them with the mixer’s paddle attachment until they give up their juice (2). Then strain the results.

While fresh lemons are always best, you can use bottled lemon juice in this recipe.

Step 3: Assemble Your Mazagran Coffee

Add ice to a tall, 16-ounce glass. Make sure to choose a glass that is sturdy and tempered. Pour the cooled, sweetened coffee and lemon juice into your drinking glass and stir the mixture. Optionally, garnish it with a slice of lemon or a lemon twist.

Final Thoughts

Mazagran coffee is the perfect drink for sipping solo on a hot summer’s day or serving to guests at an afternoon garden party. Its unusual list of ingredients is sure to spark conversation, and while it feels formal, now you know just how simple it is to prepare!

Did you try this iced lemon coffee recipe or a variation? Let us know how you made this drink your own in the comments.