Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

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Lemon Drop Martini Ingredients

2 oz / 60 ml vodka (we used Fiyori)

1 oz / 30 ml fresh squeezed lemon juice

0.5 oz / 15 ml Cointreau or triple sec

0.75 oz / 22 ml simple syrup

Superfine or confetti rimming sugar, for the rim

Lemon twist or wheel, for garnish

How to make a Lemon Drop Martini

Rim the glass first. Run a lemon wedge around the outside edge of a chilled coupe or martini glass, then roll the rim through your rimming sugar on a plate. Keep the sugar on the outside edge so it does not dissolve into the drink.

Add the vodka, lemon juice, Cointreau, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled.

Double strain into the prepared glass.

Express a lemon peel over the surface and garnish with the twist or a lemon wheel on the rim.

The lemon drop martini gets a bad rap because most versions are cloying. The original, invented in the early 1970s at Henry Africa's in San Francisco, is technically a daisy, the same cocktail family as the margarita: spirit, fresh citrus, and a liqueur carrying at least part of the sweetness. This version rounds it out with simple syrup. When the ratios are right it is tart, silky, and dangerously easy to drink. This recipe skips the sour mix and the citron vodka and builds the whole thing from four real ingredients.

A note on the vodka: it makes up half the drink, and a cleaner bottle needs less sugar to balance, which keeps the cocktail tart instead of cloying. I made this one with Fiyori, a small batch Nashville vodka infused with cold pressed organic hemp seeds (no THC or CBD, the seeds just add texture). The silky finish suits this drink perfectly, but any clean unflavored vodka works.

Can I make a lemon drop martini with limoncello?

Yes, and it is a great variation. Swap the simple syrup for 0.75 oz of limoncello and keep everything else the same. The limoncello brings sweetness and an extra layer of lemon oil.

Can I make a lemon drop martini without triple sec?

Yes. Replace the half ounce of triple sec with another quarter ounce of simple syrup and a strip of orange peel expressed into the shaker. You lose a little depth but the drink still works.

Should I use citron vodka?

The 80s and 90s versions used citron vodka because bars leaned on flavored spirits back then. With a full ounce of fresh lemon juice in the shaker, plain vodka is the better choice. Flavored vodka on top of fresh juice tends to taste artificial.

What kind of sugar works best for the rim?

Superfine sugar (sometimes labeled caster sugar) sticks evenly and dissolves pleasantly on the lip. Granulated works in a pinch. We rimmed ours with Collins confetti rimming sugar, which gives the glass a party look. If you want a flavored option, Rokz makes a lemon drop rimming sugar that leans into the candy angle. Rim only half the glass if you want the option of sips without sugar.

Can I batch this for a pitcher?

Multiply everything by your number of guests, stir it together without ice, and refrigerate. When serving, shake individual portions with ice, or add 0.75 oz of cold water per drink to the pitcher and serve very cold from the freezer.