This Lemon Drop Martini is sweet, sour, citrusy and the perfect vodka cocktail to make any night of the week. Making this Lemon Drop Martini recipe at home is very easy and tastes so much better than anything you can get at a cocktail bar.
Lemon Drop Recipe
I absolutely love lemons! My family jokes that I always add lemon juice to everything. It should be no surprise that I am a big fan of Lemon Drop Martinis. I love the fresh taste and zing packed in a good Lemon Drop drink. The combination of tart and sweet makes this cocktail recipe very refreshing.
What’s A Lemon Drop?
The Lemon Drop cocktail is a vodka-based cocktail that was developed sometime in the 1970s in a bar in San Francisco, California. It is also known as Lemon Drop Martini. Unlike most martinis, this drink is made with vodka instead of Gin or vermouth.
Lemon Drops Martini Ingredients
This lemon vodka martini is made with a few simple ingredients and although the sugar on the rim is optional, I highly recommend it!
- Good Quality Vodka
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Triple Sec
- Superfine Sugar
- Ice
- Lemon slices or lemon twist as garnish
How To Make This Lemon Drop Martini Recipe
One of the reason this lemon drop recipe is so easy to make is because you don’t need to make and cool simple syrup before mixing this lemon drink. Instead, superfine sugar is mixed in with the vodka, triple sec and fresh lemon juice. Super easy right?
- In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, add the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice. Shake well.
- Take a lemon wedge and rub the top edge area of the martini glass. Dip the edge into the superfine sugar.
- Pour the drink into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a lemon slice.
What Does A Lemon Drop Taste Like?
A Lemon Drop tastes like refreshing lemonade with a vodka kick! It’s tart and sweet and it goes down smoothly but you can certainly taste the vodka.
What Are Lemon Drops Made Of?
This Lemon Drop martini recipe is made with vodka, triple sec, superfine sugar, lemon juice and ice. Add some sugar on the rim, a lemon slice or lemon peel as garnished and you have the best lemon cocktail ever!
Should You Use Simple Syrup In Your Lemon Drop Martini Recipe?
Some cocktail recipes like this martini uses simple syrup while others use superfine sugar as sweetener. Both work very well for mixed drinks and do the same job. When I want to make a drink quickly and I haven’t planned ahead, superfine sugar is my secret weapon.
Simple syrup combines equal parts of sugar and water that are boiled, then cooled and then used to sweeten drinks. Although you can purchase a bottle of simple syrup, making it at home is very easy.
Lemon Drop Tips
- If you don’t have super fine sugar handy, don’t worry! Place some regular white sugar in a small food processor or grinder and process – just pulse it a couple of times. Don’t over do it or you will end up with a powdery mess.
- You can use any orange liqueur if you are out of Triple Sec.
- Fresh lemon juice is a must for this cocktail recipe. Bottled juice cannot compare to the taste of fresh lemon juice.
Take A Look At These Other Cocktail Recipes:
This post was first published in 2018 and has been updated to provide the reader with new photography and additional information. The recipe remains the same.
This Lemon Drop Martini recipe is adapted from What’s Cooking America – Best Lemon Drop
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Lemon Drop Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces good quality vodka
- 1/2 ounce Triple Sec
- 1 teaspoon superfine sugar or to taste
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Ice cubes
- Superfine sugar for dipping the glasses
- Lemon, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, add the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice. Shake well.
- Take a lemon wedge and rub the top edge area of the martini glass. Dip the edge into the superfine sugar.
- Pour the drink into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a lemon slice.
- Enjoy!
ce ce says
I love the tip about using the food processor to make super fine sugar… Its not only space saving since I dont have to store it but its GENIUS!! Nothing beats a great libation on these hot hot days and this tasty lemon drop is perfectly balanced! Cheers!
Kathy says
Thank you!
Dave says
This is an outstanding drink recipe! I poured after shaking and straining over crushed ice. Yum! Didn’t have the fine sugar and was too lazy to use my little chopper, so I used granulated, shook it for a bit, let it sit a minute, then shook again and strained. Still delicious!
Kathy says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!