Best 3 Ingredient Lemon Drop Martini Recipe
The ultimate recipe for the best ever Lemon Drop Martini. When life gives you lemons… make Lemon Drop Martini’s
Here we have the Lemon Drop Martini. A classic cocktail with a richer history then people first think. Shop around and you’ll find a hundred different Lemon Drop Martini recipes made 100 different ways. Today we’re going down the easiest route and in my humble opinion, the best route. A Lemon Drop Martini made with just 3 ingredients. The best recipe you’ll find.
What’s the difference between a lemon drop shot and lemon drop martini?
The difference between a lemon drop martini and lemon drop shot is the measurements.
For a lemon drop shot you’ll use equal parts shaken and poured out into shot glasses. The martini has more vodka which actually makes the martini a stronger drink contrary to the popular assumption that a shot would be more boozy.
The lemon drop shot is more zesty and sour.
Lemon Drop Shot recipe
Ingredients
1/4 shot Vodka
1/4 shot Triple Sec
1/4 shot Lemon Juice
Method
Shake and strain into a shot glass.
You will only need to shake for a few seconds to dilute 1/4 shot and chill. After you’ve made a few (and believe me, once you make one you’ll be making more) you’ll get the hang of how long you should be shaking for.
Kamikaze Shot
The above Lemon Drop shot recipe is actually very similar to a party classic that I love - the Kamikaze.
Every time someone asks me for a shot but they don’t like tequila, they want something easy drinking or they just have no idea what they want. I whip up one of these. Never had a complaint. It’s such an easy and not to mention, tasty, shot.
For the kamikaze, use the exact method and recipe as the lemon drop shot with 1 small change, swap the lemon juice for lime juice.
It’s still very much balanced, still super sour, still super tasty. But instead of that light garden fresh feel you get from lemon, you have more of a sweet candy like flavour.
For anyone in the UK, it’s basically a fancy Sourz..
Why is a lemon drop a martini?
Now you know the difference between a lemon drop shot and lemon drop martini. You might be thinking “well why is it called a martini?”.
This goes back to the 80s/90s when everything in that V shaped glass suddenly got a rebrand as a martini.
A martini is a simple cocktail made with usually gin and vermouth. You can check out the full history and all the twists on this classic here.
That glass that the martini was served in, became known as a martini glass. But that doesn’t mean every cocktail served in that glass was a martini. Much like how not every drink served in an Old Fashioned glass is an Old Fashioned, or how not every drink served in a Collins glass is a Tom Collins.
Then sometime in the 80s and 90s along the way people started referring to drinks in martini glasses as types of martini’s. The only rule being that they had to be in the martini glass. Strictly speaking, you could pour water in the glass and people would refer to it as a “water martini”.
We see this take shape in the history of the Espresso Martini which you can read here. The espresso martini started life as the “Vodka Espresso”. Then someone somewhere down the line changed the name to the Espresso Martini despite the fact that the creator Dick Bradsell didn’t like it.
We see the same thing with the Pornstar Martini as well.
That’s basically what’s happened here. The lemon drop is the lemon drop martini because it’s in a martini glass.
In-fact, if you really want to get technical with this, the drink is actually a Crusta. We should be calling it the Lemon Drop Crusta…
What is a Crusta Cocktail
A Crusta is a sour cocktail with a full sugar rim that forms a crust round the glass, hence the name Crusta.
It was invented in the 1840s with the most popular version being a Brandy Crusta which was made with Brandy, lemon, and triple sec.
As you will soon see, when you swap the Brandy in that recipe for vodka, you get a lemon drop martini. Even the garnish is the same, a crust of sugar round the rim. Which makes the Lemon Drop a Crusta. An even more technical term for this cocktail would be the Vodka Crusta.
But lets be honest, the reason we call this a Lemon Drop Martini is because it tastes like lemon drop candy. And that’s much more of a nicer name then Vodka Crusta. So who cares about the technical jargon? It’s a Lemon Drop Martini to me and it’s a Lemon Drop Martini to you.
But just for reference, this is what a Brandy Crusta looks like…
Easy Lemon Drop Martini
There’s a bunch of ways to recreate the Lemon Drop Martini, and we will speak more about how you can do that and the substitutions you can make (such as the popular Limoncello version).
But first, what I love about this recipe is that it’s the easiest way to make it. That’s why I claim that this is the best Lemon Drop Martini recipe you’ll find. Just because of how easy it is to make. No fancy equipment or ingredients needed. No technical ability or knowledge of bartending. Which means you can easily make this on the fly at home.
3 ingredient Lemon Drop Cocktail
In fact, it’s so easy that there are only 3 ingredients in the whole thing. 3 ingredients which you can easily pick up at almost any shop;
Vodka
Triple sec (or Cointreau)
Lemon Juice
If you really want, you can even forget about the sugar rim and it’ll still taste delicious.
Speaking of delicious, don’t think because this is the easiest Lemon Drop Martini recipe you’ll find and only 3 ingredients means that it’s not the tastiest. I’ve tried all manner of Lemon Drop Martini’s and it just so happens that this one is my personal favourite. The fact it also happens to be the easiest is just a happy little accident.
Can you make lemon drop martinis ahead of time?
In this day and age pre batching cocktails is all the rage, and is something I’m all for. A lot of the time we’re making cocktails for a party where you don’t want to be shaking cocktails all night.
Even when we’re just looking to have a few cocktails at home on a Saturday night with 1 other person or even riding solo, constantly going back and forth from the kitchen or home bar mixing and shaking cocktails can be a right pain.
So pre batching works great for both situations.
Personally, I like to have a cocktail if I’m going on a mini break, in a hotel room or at someone else’s party. Taking everything you need to make the cocktail can quickly get heavy and if you’re anything like me you’ll realize you’ve forgotten 1 ingredient when it’s too late. So to save the storage space and travel light, I’ll pre batch cocktails and take that instead. Then I only need to take 1 bottle instead of 3 and they’ll taste the same each and every time.
So yes, you can pre batch a Lemon Drop Martini and due to that fact it’s actually quite the boozy drink and very sour, it’ll be perfectly fine to make the night before.
A pre batched lemon drop martini will last a week in the fridge. Probably longer but just to be on the safe side, let’s say 1 week.
To pre batch this, multiple all the ingredients by however many cocktails you want. Funnel it into a bottle and store it in the refrigerator with a tight fitting lid. Don’t forget to label and date it.
Girly Drinks
When I started writing this article, I had a quick look around google to see what questions people had about it and to my surprise, a lot of people are asking what a Lemon Drop Martini says about them and whether or not a lemon drop martini is a “girly drink”.
I’m guessing a lot of macho men have tried one of these and thought “well damn, that tastes pretty good. Can I order one or will that look weird?” so let’s clear a few things up.
Is the Lemon Drop Martini a girly drink?
No. This cocktail is stronger and classier then both beer and wine. There is nothing girly about it. You wouldn’t call a Margarita girly would you? This Lemon Drop Martini is exactly the same recipe but with lemon instead of lime and vodka instead of Tequila. So don’t worry, this is not a “girly” cocktail.
What would ordering a Lemon Drop Martini say about me?
It would probably say you like strong sour drinks. Don’t overthink whether bartenders or customers judge people’s cocktails. Despite the short lived social media trend of bartenders explaining what your drink order says about you, we really do not care. It’s also a very easy cocktail to make so if anything, we’ll appreciate it. Better then you ordering an Old Fashioned, now THAT’S a pain to make!.
If it’s the glass that’s worrying you or making you think it looks girly, just ask for it in another glass. TOP TIP; don’t do that thing where people say “Can I have this in a manly glass”, it makes you look insecure. Instead, ask for it on the rocks. The bartender will just think you want it extra cold and as a bonus to your insecurities, you’ll get it in a rocks glass.
Who invented the Lemon Drop Martini?
We can’t talk in this much detail about this Lemon Drop Martini without paying homage to the creation and creator. So let’s talk about the history of the Lemon Drop Martini and who invented it.
In 1969 Henry Africa’s bar opened on Broadway and Polk in San Francisco. This is the bar that popularised the fern style of bars which we see everywhere today (the places with lots of greenery and Tiffany Lamps). This was the first kind of bar that catered mainly to women. Bars at the time were designed in a way to attract men, Henry Africa’s bar changed that, so a lot of history there.
The bar was owned by Norman Jay Hobday (who later legally changed his name to Henry Africa). As the story goes, his mother loaned him the money to open the bar on the condition that he name it after an old boyfriend of hers, Henry Africa. Hence the name. Norman had no money to re design the space so he just filled it with plants and a style was born.
But fern bars aside, in the 1970s Norman invented the Lemon Drop. Originally served in a different glass before the classic Martini glass where the sugar rim was added to balance the sourness. Then it became the Lemon Drop Martini, which quickly spread across San Francisco.
Picture above, Norman Jay Hobday in Henry Africa’s bar 1970s
By the late 80s the Lemon Drop Martini was old news and no one was drinking them anymore. Then in the 90s it came back in shot form and the Lemon Drop Martini lived on via the Lemon Drop shot. Then once again it fell out of fashion till around the late 2000s.
In 2006 the Lemon Drop Martini started to become popular again when Oprah Winfrey made one and served them at her legends weekend event.
It lost popularity again and now as people search for easy classic recipes, it’s making another come back.
What ingredients go in a Lemon Drop Martini
As I’ve mentioned multiple times and will keep shouting and raving about till the cows come home. This is a 3 ingredient lemon drop martini. So you only need 3 ingredients. They are;
Vodka
Any vodka will be fine but keep in mind that vodka is the main ingredient here, so you want a good one. The best vodka for this recipe is a citron vodka as it brings out more of that zesty sherbet lemon flavour. Absolut citron is perfect in my opinion.
Orange Liqueur
Triple sec is what we will use for this recipe. You can use whatever orange liqueur you want, Cointreau is a popular option and you can totally make a Lemon Drop Martini with Cointreau. However, keep in mind we’re not using sugar syrup for this recipe and Cointreau is quite boozy, so I recommend using a sweeter orange liqueur like triple sec.
Lemon Juice
Freshly squeezed will be both cheaper and better tasting. So don’t be a fool, when life gives you lemons, juice them yourself.
Lemon Drop Martini variations
Lets talk variations because there is a lot you can do with this cocktail to make it your own.
How to make a lemon drop martini with tequila
A popular option is swapping out the vodka for something more flavoursome. Like Tequila. You can swap the vodka for whatever you want and it’ll work, I’d stick to white spirits but do have fun with it. But keep in mind it wont technically be a Lemon Drop Martini. For example with gin your closer to a White Lady, with rum you’re closer to a Daiquiri and with Tequila you’re closer to a Margarita. But will it work? Yes it will.
Lemon Drop Martini without triple sec
Without triple sec you can use orange liqueur. If you want no liqueur, I’d recommend replacing the liqueur in the recipe card for sugar syrup. It’ll be missing a little something and taste more like a boozy still lemonade, but if you like sour, it’ll work just as good.
limoncello
Limoncello already tastes like Lemon Drops, so why wouldn’t you want it in the recipe?
To make a Lemon Drop Martini with Limoncello, keep the vodka and lemon juice the same then add half a shot of Limoncello and half a shot of Triple Sec.
You could also fully replace the triple sec with limoncello then cut the lemon juice in half and it’d work just as well.
lemonade
Another up and coming twist is to serve the drink in a tall glass over ice and top it up with lemonade. It’s a great lower abv twist which works wonders in summer.
You could also top it with soda water for a homemade boozy lemonade or twist on a hard seltzer - whichever you prefer to call it, it’s the same thing. Anyone remember Mike’s hard lemonade? That’s basically what you’ll have.
How to make a lemon twist
Now let’s talk garnishes. The rimming of the glass is easy, just pour some sugar on a plate, rub a lemon wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in the sugar. The juices from the lemon will make the sugar stick.
As for the peel you have 2 options. Option 1 is to cut away the peel from a lemon, then carefully and slowly cut a way the sides till you have a long thin peel.
Option 2 is to get a zesty like this. You can use that to easily peel any citrus if you like those long stringy twists, so I highly recommend picking one up.
Once you have your long peel, wrap it around a straw or pen, hold it there for a few seconds and when you let go it’ll keep that spring like twisty look you see in the image above. Drop that in the glass or balance it on the side.
Simple Syrup Recipe
Let’s talk sugar. A lot of people prefer sweeter cocktails. Especially when they’re super sour like this Lemon Drop Martini. If that’s you then you might want to consider adding a 4th ingredient. That ingredient being sugar syrup.
My best advice is to make the recipe as I mention (without the sugar syrup) and if it tastes a little too zingy or sour for your liking, pour it back in your cocktail shaker, add half a shot of sugar syrup, shake and taste. Still not quite sweet enough? Add another half shot and go again.
To make sugar syrup, mix equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil whilst stirring and once the sugar has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear enough for you to see the bottom of the pan, take it of the heat, wait for it to cool then bottle it.
Top Tip
Don’t buy sugar syrup. It’s so easy and cheap to make, I highly recommend just taking the few minutes it takes to whip it up yourself.
Similar Recipes
If you like this Lemon Drop Martini recipe, here’s a few other cocktails that you’ll like.
Lemon Drop Martini (3 ingredients)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add everything to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well.
- Fine strain into a chilled sugar rimmed martini glass
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Notes
For the sugar rim, cut a lemon wedge and run it around the rim of your martini glass, then dip the rim into a plate of sugar.
For a sweeter variation add half an ounce of sugar syrup.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
180.87Fat
0.11 gSat. Fat
0.03 gCarbs
6.52 gFiber
0.09 gNet carbs
6.43 gSugar
5.27 gProtein
0.11 gSodium
1.98 mgCholesterol
0 mgCalories based on cocktail + entire bottle of liqueur
The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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Hi, I’m Cameron, guv’nor of Smartblend. If you liked this then you’re in luck, I have a bunch more recipes like it. I share only vegetarian and pescatarian food recipes, cocktails, and drink guides with a sprinkling of wellness and mindful drinking. If that sounds like you, then stick around!
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