Lemon Drop Martinis are not classic martinis at all, but they are very simple and powerful and have endured for half a century so they’re definitely worthy of note.

They’re also one of the most googled martini variation recipes, particularly in North America, the birthplace of this iconic drink.

Sadly the Lemon Drop Martini has not taken off elsewhere in the world to the same extent that it has at home. I consider this a big shame. It’s tasty and pretty easy to make.

Nonetheless, there’s absolutely nothing in the way of us celebrating and propagating it as far as we can.

For a start, it’s pretty straightforward. If I ran a bar (which I have in the past) I would have it on my menus as standard.

There is also plenty of scope for experimentation, with alternative citrus types or different kinds of ingredient riffs that I’m sure the qualified mixologists way out of my league can think up.

So here’s how to make it…

How to make a Lemon Drop Martini

If you want to know how to make them, follow this simple guide from the variations page of this site.

However, for the quick fire guide, you will need:

• V-shaped martini glasses
• Vodka
• Orange liqueur (you can use Triple Sec or Cointreau for example)
• Some lemons
• Some sugar (or alternative sweetener if you prefer)

Get to work

• Put your vodka and martini glasses in the freezer and your orange liqueur in the fridge, ideally for six hours or longer.

• When it’s time to pour, juice your lemons, usually around 1 per drink. Make sure to leave out any pulp or pips.
• Sweeten the lemon juice to taste (normally around 3-4 teaspoons of sugar per lemon).

• Take out your martini glass, run the leftover lemon around the rim to moisten it, then coat it with sugar using a plate with the sugar sprinkled over it.

• Add around 30-40ml / 1-1.35oz of the sweetened lemon juice to the frosted glass.
• Add around 10ml / 0.3oz orange liqueur.
• Add around 40ml / 1.35 oz vodka.
• Stir and serve immediately.

Additional Notes

The sugar rim is optional, and I’m sure sweetener alternatives such as agave syrup also work well, but you can leave out this step if you like.

Otherwise, I made this one following the recipe as closely as I could.

If you want, you can pare some of the lemon skin before you juice the fruit and use this to make a garnish.

It’s optional and an extra step that doesn’t have as much of an impact as a lemon garnish in classic martini, because the lemon drop is already so lemony.

Nonetheless, you might like the additional visual flair.

Sans L’Orange

I’ve sometimes made these without orange liqueur, so it’s just a vodka, lemon juice and sugar, which is not a true Lemon Drop martini but it’s still absolutely lovely so don’t worry if you can’t get hold of Cointreau or Triple Sec.

It’s more tart, and much easier to prepare. It’s sort of an MVP version of the drink. It might not feel quite as much of a cocktail as the full shebang but it’s very refreshing nonetheless.

However you make it, if you like drinks that are sweet, sour, citrus and an almost astringent boozy flavour, this is a cocktail for you to try out.

Enjoy!