Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by David Michael
Lemon Drop
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Bursting with zesty flavor and a hint of sweetness, this cocktail is a favorite for its tart sweet lemon flavor. Whether you’re hosting a summer soirée or simply craving a refreshing treat, the Lemon Drop is here to delight your sweet and sour cravings.
Fresh lemon juice is the key to a high quality Lemon Drop. It’s the ingredient that gives the most flavor to the drink, so quality really does matter here. Serving with a sugared rim is traditional, but I find that makes the drink too sweet. Feel free to sugar the rim of your martini glass if you like a sweeter drink.
Lemon Drop Recipe
2 ounces vodka
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
2 dashes lemon bitters
Garnish: 1 lemon twist
In a cocktail shaker combine the vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and lemon bitters with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
To sugar the rim of the glass:
Pour sugar into a small plate to cover the bottom of the plate.
Wipe the rim of the glass with a lemon wedge, then dip the rim of the glass into the sugar to coat the rim with sugar.
I don’t use triple sec or any other orange liqueur, I find that the orange flavor blunts the brightness of the lemon rather than enhancing it. Instead I use lemon bitters to round out and amplify the clean citrus flavor.
The Lemon Drop is a testament to the beauty of simplicity and balance. Its invigorating citrus flavor and elegant presentation make it a crowd pleasing cocktail. Try our Lemon Drop Martini today!
For another citrus based cocktail be sure to check out our Margarita recipe.
Be sure to try the Lemon Drop’s gin based cousin The Bee’s Knees.
Recommended Products for a Perfect Lemon Drop
Fee Brothers Lemon Bitters
I really like the Fee Brothers lemon bitters for the Lemon Drop Martini. They have a very clean lemon flavor without traditional bitters flavors. You get a concentrated bright lemon flavor with just enough botanicals to give your drink interest.
Riedel Vinum Martini Glasses
At just over 5 ounces these are the perfect fit for the Lemon Drop Martini. The Vinum line is dishwasher safe and has all the elegance and quality you expect from Riedel.
Cocktail Kingdom Essential Cocktail Set
Cocktail Kingdom is well known in the craft cocktail world for high quality tools. This starter set has everything you need to shake or stir drinks: Weighted Boston shaker, mixing glass, Hawthorne strainer, Japanese style jigger, and a bar spoon.
White Linen Cocktail Napkins
The perfect finishing touch. I love these classic hemstitched linen napkins. You can never have too many white linen napkins, and these come in an amazing assortment of colors to match any decor.
Norpro Stainless Steel Citrus Press
For the occasional cocktail I rely on my Norpro juicer. It’s a great heavy duty stainless steel and has lasted me many many years of cocktail making. It handles oranges, lemons, and limes easily – it’s a bit small for grapefruits.
Zulay Professional Heavy Duty Citrus Juicer
If you need to create plenty of juice with ease, the Zulay professional citrus juice press is our top pick for best manual citrus juicer. With a large sized juicing element this makes short work of any citrus – limes, lemons, oranges, and grapefruits. The large basket makes this one of the best juicers for grapefruit.
The heavy cast iron construction not only adds stability to this countertop juicer, it adds weight to the pressing action making juicing easier. Rubber feet helps keep this juicer from sliding around. This is perfect for large capacity users, even suitable for bars, restaurants, and commercial use. The stainless steel juicing components are removable and dishwasher safe. Looking for the best citrus press? I feel this is one of the best you can buy. If you need a lot of juice I recommend the Zulay professional citrus juicer.
