Lemon Drop Martini: Easy Vodka and Lemon Cocktail Recipe
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Could there be anything better than a cocktail that tastes like candy? Obviously, this is a rhetorical question for true lovers of both candy and cocktails. The better question is which cocktail tastes like candy without tasting too sweet or, even worse, cloying.
The answer to this non-rhetorical question is the Lemon Drop Martini.
🍸 This Recipe at a Glance
- Base: Vodka and fresh lemon juice
- Ratio: 4:2:1:1 (vodka, lemon juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup)
- Glass: Sugar-rimmed martini glass
- Method: Shaken and strained
- Garnish: Lemon twist
- Time: 5 minutes
- Strength: Strong, roughly 20% ABV after shaking
- Calories: 227
- Flavor: Sweet, tart and bright like a lemon candy
- Best for: Parties, brunch and anyone who likes sweet-tart cocktails
What Is a Lemon Drop Martini?
The Lemon Drop Martini is more than a lemon-flavored Martini. Sure, the two cocktails have some similarities, including their names and serving vessels, but they’re completely different drinks.
While the classic Martini is sophisticated and dry, the Lemon Drop Martini is simultaneously sweet and tart. Then there’s its sugar rim, which propels the Lemon Drop Martini to candy cocktail status.
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But what exactly is a Lemon Drop Martini? In simple terms, it’s a sour cocktail crafted with vodka, freshly squeezed lemon juice, orange liqueur and simple syrup that’s served in a sugar-rimmed glass.
Some people consider the Lemon Drop Martini to be a ‘girly drink’ in the same category as Cosmopolitans and Pink Ladies. That categorization may be correct, but who cares. Time debating this topic would be better spent crafting and imbibing Lemon Drop Martinis.
Fun Fact
Oprah Winfrey made Lemon Drop Martinis with Rachael Ray on her show in 2006 and called the Lemon Drop her favorite cocktail.
History of the Lemon Drop Martini
Norman Jay Hobday, who opened Henry Africa’s in 1969, created the Lemon Drop Martini in the 1970s. He was so devoted to his San Francisco bar that he later took its name as his own. The acclaimed bar closed in 1986.
Fun Fact
Henry Africa’s bar was called a ‘fern bar’ because it was decorated with… you guessed it… ferns.
Ingredients
Despite its candy inspiration, the Lemon Drop cocktail recipe doesn’t include any candy. Instead, its ingredient list has the following candy-free ingredients:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How to Craft a Lemon Drop Martini
The first step in this recipe is to sugar coat the rim before you craft the cocktail so that the sugar rim has time to set.
Rub a lemon wedge around the outside rim of a martini glass and then dip the glass onto a plate topped with granulated sugar. Twirl the glass until the rim is well coated. Set the glass aside.
Measure the vodka, orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup. We use a Japanese jigger to get accurate measurements and easy pours for all these liquid ingredients.
Pour the liquids into a shaker as you measure them. We use a Boston shaker to craft this and other cocktails, and we love it. It’s so easy to use and doesn’t make a mess.
Add a handful of ice cubes to the shaker and shake vigorously until the liquids are chilled and blended. This step should take about 20 seconds.
Strain the cocktail into the sugar-coated glass.
The final step is to garnish the crafted Lemon Drop Martini with a lemon twist.
Variations
The Lemon Drop Martini should satisfy you whether you like your cocktails sweet or tart. However, if you’re feeling experimental, here are some ideas to get you started:
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How to Make a Batch of Lemon Drop Martinis
Shaking Lemon Drop Martinis one at a time is fun until you have a room full of thirsty guests. Here’s what you need to prepare eight cocktails:
- 2 cups vodka
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
- ½ cup orange liqueur
- ½ cup simple syrup
- 1 cup cold water
Stir everything together in a pitcher and chill it for at least two hours. The water does the job that ice does in a shaker (i.e., it dilutes the drink so it doesn’t taste too boozy). Don’t add ice to the pitcher, or your Lemon Drops will taste watered down by the second round.
Rim your martini glasses before guests arrive so the sugar has time to set. When it’s time to serve the cocktails, give the pitcher a quick stir, pour and add a lemon twist to each glass.
Pro Tip
If you want the frothy texture that comes from shaking, leave out the water and shake two servings at a time with ice for about 20 seconds before straining.
Lemon Drop Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- 1 ounce lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- granulated sugar (for sugar rim)
- 1 lemon wedge (for sugar rim)
- 1 lemon twist (garnish)
- ice cubes (for shaking)
Instructions
- Run a lemon wedge around the outside rim of a martini glass and then dip the glass into sugar, twirling the glass until the rim is well coated. Set the glass aside.
- Pour vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker.
- Add a handful of ice cubes and shake for about 20 seconds until the liquids are chilled and blended.
- Strain into the sugar-rimmed martini glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Notes
- Peel the rind for the lemon twist and cut the wedge before you squeeze the lemon.
- Superfine sugar works best for creating a sugar rim.
- To make eight cocktails at once, see our batch instructions above.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
It’s a sweet-tart vodka sour made with vodka, fresh lemon juice, orange liqueur and simple syrup. It’s served in a sugar-rimmed martini glass.
You need vodka, orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup. For the rim, you need a lemon wedge and granulated sugar. We garnish ours with a lemon twist.
Norman Jay Hobday gets the credit. He created the drink in the 1970s at Henry Africa’s, the San Francisco fern bar he opened in 1969.
No. A classic Martini combines gin or vodka with dry vermouth. The Lemon Drop borrows the name and the glass, but it’s a sour cocktail.
Use a vodka you like to drink. We use Absolut. Using citrus vodka adds an extra layer of lemon flavor.
Yes. Cointreau is a type of triple sec. Cheaper triple secs tend to be sweeter, so you may want to cut back on the simple syrup if you don’t use Cointreau.
Run a lemon wedge around the outside of the rim, then dip the glass in sugar that’s spread on a small plate. Rim the glass before you mix the drink so the sugar has time to set. Superfine sugar sticks best.
Shaken. Cocktails with citrus juice need a hard shake to chill, blend and aerate.
It’s about 20% ABV after shaking, with roughly one ounce of alcohol per drink. It goes down easy, so pace yourself.
Our recipe has about 227 calories, sugar rim included.
Yes. For eight drinks, combine 2 cups vodka, 1 cup lemon juice, ½ cup orange liqueur, ½ cup simple syrup and 1 cup cold water in a pitcher. The water stands in for the dilution you’d get from shaking. Chill for at least two hours and pour into sugar-rimmed glasses.
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