Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

A Lemon Drop is a sour dressed up as a Martini: vodka, fresh lemon, and orange liqueur, shaken hard and served in a sugar-rimmed glass. Made properly with real lemons it is tart and clean rather than the sticky sweet thing it has a reputation for. Serve it very cold, in a glass that has been in the freezer.

Lemon Drop Martini

Prep8 min

Total time8 min

Servings1 cocktail

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

2 oz (60 ml) vodka
0.75 oz (22 ml) fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz (22 ml) triple sec or Cointreau
0.5 oz (15 ml) simple syrup
2 tbsp superfine (caster) sugar, for the rim
1 lemon wedge, for wetting the rim
Ice cubes, for shaking
1 lemon twist, to garnish

Instructions

Chill a coupe or Martini glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
Spread the superfine sugar on a small plate.
Run the lemon wedge around the outer edge of half the glass rim, then roll that half in the sugar.
Add the vodka, lemon juice, triple sec, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.
Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds, until the shaker is painfully cold to hold.
Double strain into the prepared glass through a fine sieve.
Express a lemon twist over the surface and lay it on the rim, on the unsugared side.

Contains 2 oz of vodka plus an orange liqueur at around 40%, so despite the sweetness it is as strong as a Martini. No raw egg in this version.

Tips

Sugar only half the rim so a guest can choose. Sugar all the way round and every sip arrives pre-sweetened whether they want it or not.
Rim the outside of the glass only. Sugar dragged down the inside dissolves into the drink and throws the balance off within a minute.
Lemons vary a lot in acidity through the year. Shake, taste from a straw, and add a quarter ounce more syrup if it makes you wince.
Superfine sugar sticks evenly; coarse granulated falls off in clumps on the way to the table.

FAQ

What usually goes wrong?

Using bottled lemon juice. It is the dominant flavor in the glass, and the cooked, slightly bitter taste of bottled juice is impossible to disguise.

How do I store it?

Serve immediately. The sugar rim starts dissolving as soon as it is wet, so this is not a drink to build ahead of guests arriving.

Why do my times differ?

Ovens differ. Use the times as a guide and judge by how it looks and feels.