Acidity

Acidity is one of the five basic tastes and gives drinks freshness, tension and liveliness. It comes from natural fruit acids such as citric, malic, tartaric or lactic acid. Too much acidity feels sharp, too little makes a drink seem flat.

In the mouth it shows itself through salivation and a puckering at the sides of the tongue. Its counterweight is sweetness: only the balance between the two makes many drinks harmonious. In wine and fruit juice acidity is a central quality feature, in beer and cocktails it is used deliberately.