Lemon, lime and bitters is thought to have been invented in Australia.
The drink’s exact origin is unknown, but it is generally said to have been invented and popularised in Australia around 1880. It combines clear lemonade, lime cordial and aromatic bitters, usually Angostura bitters. The lime element distinguishes it from the older lemonade-and-bitters combination.
Lemon, lime and bitters is especially associated with Australian pub and restaurant culture, and it is also widely consumed in New Zealand. It became a popular non-alcoholic alternative to pink gin, a mixture of gin and Angostura bitters. Despite its very low alcohol content from the bitters, it is commonly treated as a soft drink or mocktail.
A common mix-up is assuming that the country of origin is proven beyond doubt. Australia is the accepted answer because the drink was established and popularised there, not because a single inventor or precise birthplace has been conclusively documented. Queensland’s Wimmers later helped commercialise a premixed version in the 1920s.