Classic Cocktails & Drinks With A Funky Twist

Lemon Drop Martini

5 from 2 votes
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Updated: 06/18/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy
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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

When life gives you lemons, use them to make a martini! The tantalizing tartness of this yummy cocktail is sure to become a favorite. With only three ingredients this cocktail comes together in a snap. It’s so refreshing and cold, a perfect balance of sweet and sour!

two glasses of lemon drop martini with sugared rim and lemon twist

A Lemon Drop Martini is perfect to enjoy any night of the week. While a martini always looks and sounds fancy, its not short of flavor and is so simple to make! A fun and fruity twist on the classic Dirty Martini Recipe.

Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

All you need is some good quality vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. The key to making the perfect Lemon Drop Martini is balancing the sour and sweet. Do this by using my delicious simple syrup recipe for this cocktail. And make sure you’re using fresh lemon juice. Like, from an actual lemon. Tip: roll your lemons on the counter for a couple of seconds to release the juices before cutting.

man pouring a lemon drop martini into a glass rimmed with sugar surrounded by lemon slices

How to Make a Lemon Drop Martini

  • To prep your martini glass, rub a lemon wedge along the rim and dip into sugar.
  • In a shaker full of ice, combine a couple of ounces of vodka with an ounce of simple syrup.
  • Squeeze the juice of about half a lemon into the mixture, making sure to remove any stray seeds or pulp.
  • Shake, shake, shake! The longer you shake, the colder the cocktail will get, and this one is very best served ice cold.
  • Pour into your sugar-rimmed martini glass. Cheers to all things lemon!
man's hand pouring lemon drop martini into a martini glass with sugared rim and lemon twist garnish

How to Rim a Glass With Sugar

Rub a lemon wedge along the rim of your glass and dip the rim into a shallow plate or shallow bowl of sugar. Roll the wet-rimmed glass at about a 45-degree angle to the plate and slowly turn to fully coat the rim. Shake off any excess sugar into the sink or garbage and you are set.

two glasses of lemon drop martini with sugared rim and lemon twist

How to Serve

Since a Lemon Drop Martini is shaken with ice, it’s best served immediately while it is ice cold. A martini glass houses the cocktail perfectly, while any small glass tumbler would do. We love the rim the glass with sugar to add a little extra sweetness with each sip. Topping the cocktail with a lemon twist makes the perfect garnish- adding an aesthetically pleasing pop of color and texture.

Other Martini’s

This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor.

two glasses of lemon drop martini with sugared rims and a lemon twist
two glasses of lemon drop martini with sugared rim and lemon twist
5 from 2 votes

Lemon Drop Martini

Serves: 1 martini
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
When life gives you lemons, make a lemon drop martini! With only three ingredients, this sweet-and-sour cocktail comes together in a snap and will make you feel like you're in a high-end martini bar in your own kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about half a lemon, strained to remove seeds and pulp
  • extra lemon for garnish and rimming the glass
  • sugar for garnishing the glass

Instructions

  • Fill a martini shaker with ice.
  • Rub a lemon wedge around the edge of a martini glass. Dip the glass in sugar.
  • Add the vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup to the martini shaker. Shake to combine.
  • Pour into the prepared glass.
Course: Drinks
two glasses of lemon drop martini with sugared rim and lemon twist

Did You Make This

Lemon Drop Martini

I’d love to see what you made! Tag me @shakedrinkrpt and hashtag it #shakedrinkrepeat!

Lisa Longley has been creating great recipes for more than a decade. While it is too hard for her to pick her favorite cocktail, she is known to love our dirty martini.

Reader Interactions

    5 from 2 votes

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  1. CHARLOTTE ANN PICKETT says

    5 stars
    This is so Perfect I’m always looking for great Lemon Drop Martini recipes,I sometimes substitute Cointreau instead of simple syrup and not all the fresh Lemon juice at once some Lemons are very strong so I’ll gradually add and taste 😋

  2. Margaret says

    5 stars
    Yummm! Made this today! It was simple and delicious!

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