In citron pressé, water is served separately with lemon juice and syrup.
Citron pressé is a French café drink in which fresh lemon juice, sweet syrup and water arrive separately. The customer combines them personally, adding as much water and syrup as desired. Ice is often included, and the result is essentially a custom-mixed glass of lemonade.
This serving style is different from bottled or pre-mixed lemonade, where the producer has already fixed the sweetness and dilution. It also explains why citron pressé can taste very different from one café to another: the drinker controls the balance between tart lemon juice, sweet syrup and dilution.
The name means “pressed lemon,” referring to freshly squeezed lemon juice. In France and Belgium, it is a familiar café order and may also be called citronnade. It should not be confused with a milk- or cream-based lemon drink, and tea is not part of the classic presentation. The separate water is functional, allowing the strong juice and syrup to be transformed into a refreshing long drink at the table.