Lemon Drop Martini Recipe
Vodka, triple sec and lemon with a sugar rim.
The Lemon Drop Martini is a sweet and sour cocktail of vodka, triple sec, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, served in a sugar-rimmed glass. It tastes like the lemon drop sweet it is named after, and it is one of the most ordered vodka cocktails in the United States.
Ingredients
- 45 ml Vodka Citrus vodka works well
- 20 ml Triple sec
- 25 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 10 ml Sugar syrup
- 1 pinch Caster sugar For the rim
Garnish: Lemon twist and sugar rim
How to Make a Lemon Drop Martini
- Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a martini glass and dip it in caster sugar.
- Add the vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and sugar syrup to a shaker.
- Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
- Double strain into the glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Best Bottles for a Lemon Drop Martini in India
Clean and neutral so the lemon leads
A citrus-flavoured shortcut
Softer texture
Good value for parties
Prices are the lowest listed India price and vary by state. Check each spirit page for the full state-wise table.
Tips for a Better Lemon Drop Martini
- Sugar the rim before you shake so that it has a minute to set.
- Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice makes the drink taste like cleaning fluid.
- Taste before straining. Lemons vary, so add 5ml more syrup if the drink is too sharp.
About the Lemon Drop Martini
Norman Jay Hobday created the Lemon Drop in the 1970s at Henry Africa's, his bar in San Francisco. Henry Africa's is often described as the first "fern bar", a style of bright, plant-filled bar designed to feel welcoming to single women at a time when most American bars were dark and male. The Lemon Drop was made to match: familiar, sweet and easy to like.
The drink is a vodka version of the Crusta and the Sidecar, older cocktails served with a sugared rim. It moved into the V-shaped glass and gained the name "martini" during the flavoured martini boom of the 1990s.
It reached a wider audience when Oprah Winfrey made one on television in 2006, and it has returned strongly in the 2020s alongside the Cosmopolitan and the Espresso Martini. It is on the IBA list of official cocktails.
Lemon Drop Martini Variations
- Raspberry Lemon Drop: muddle 5 raspberries in the shaker.
- Limoncello Lemon Drop: limoncello in place of triple sec.
- Lavender Lemon Drop: lavender syrup in place of sugar syrup.
- Lemon Drop Shot: half the recipe, served in a sugar-rimmed shot glass.
- Cosmopolitan: add cranberry juice and swap the lemon for lime.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Lemon Drop Martini?
How strong is a Lemon Drop Martini?
What is the best vodka for a Lemon Drop Martini?
How do you put a sugar rim on a glass?
What is the difference between a Lemon Drop and a Cosmopolitan?
Who invented the Lemon Drop Martini?
About the Author
Quick Facts
More Cocktails
