Skip to main content
  • Brands
  • Recipes
  • Experiences
  • Inspiration
  • Products
  • Home/
  • Recipes/
  • Lemon Drop Cocktail

Lemon Drop Cocktail

Vodka
Author: Yash Lakhan
Lemon drop martini
Ingredients
Method

The Lemon Drop cocktail is an extremely popular sweet-tart drink known for its bright, zesty flavour. This well-balanced combination produces a simple, dessert-like beverage which is traditionally served chilled in a sugar-rimmed martini cocktail or coupe glass - providing a unique contrast between the tart liquid and sweet rim. The drink remains a favourite due to its approachable yet elegant flavour, it is ideal for celebratory events or as a palate-neutralising beverage between small plates of food.

What you’ll need

Ingredients

Serves:
1
  • Smirnoff vodka (or any other vodka of choice)
    20ml
  • Orange-flavoured liqueur
    15ml
  • Fresh lemon juice
    15ml
  • Sugar syrup
    10ml
  • Lemon wheel
    For garnish
  • Sugar rim
    For garnish
  • Ice cubes

Method

  1. Step 1

    Prepare a stemmed cocktail glass by moistening the rim with lemon juice and dipping it into sugar.

  2. Step 2

    In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice and sugar syrup followed by adding some ice cubes.

  3. Step 3

    Shake the mixture well until it becomes thoroughly chilled and pour the contents into the prepared cocktail glass using a fine strainer.

  4. Step 4

    Place a lemon wheel on the rim of the glass as garnish before serving.

Tips & Suggestions

  • For layered complexity, combine two orange liqueurs - a drier triple sec for balance and a richer, sweeter orange liqueur for depth.

  • Before sugar-rimming, carefully express oils from a lemon peel onto the glass rim; this infuses the sugar with a vivid citrus fragrance, adding an extra layer of aroma.

You may also like

A coupe glass filled with a pale yellow cocktail, garnished with a slice of lime on the rim, sits on a white surface.
Gimlet Cocktail
The gimlet cocktail presents a minimalist approach with a crisp taste alongside mild botanical and sour notes.
Gin
A yellow cocktail served in a martini glass, garnished with a sprig of fresh thyme, placed on a light-colored surface with a plain gray background.
Honey Bee Cocktail
The Honey Bee cocktail is a sweet-tart-sour concoction blending light rum with golden honey syrup and fresh lime juice for a perfectly balanced and aromatic sip.
Rum
A glass of pink drink with ice, lime slices, and a straw sits on a round table next to a whole lime; green cushioned bench in the background.
Greyhound Cocktail
Minimalist by design, the Greyhound cocktail flawlessly marries crisp vodka with the vivid, bittersweet flavour of fresh grapefruit juice.
Vodka
A clear glass filled with ice, a lime slice, a cherry, and a clear beverage sits on a wooden table in front of a green cushioned chair.
Gin Rickey Cocktail
The Gin Rickey cocktail is a crisp, bracing highball featuring gin, fresh lime juice and soda water, offering a tart and unsweetened sip, ideal for warmer months.
Gin

FAQs

Lemon drop cocktails are a unique combination of sweet and sour; they have a unique fresh lemon flavour, a smooth vodka base and sweet rim for a candy-like finish.

While commonly served in a martini cocktail glass, the lemon drop is a vodka sour rather than an actual martini cocktail. Because of its sweet and citrusy flavour, it is more aptly referred to as a ‘dessert martini’ cocktail.

Yes, the cocktail has an assertive flavour. Its vivid lemon and sweet-sour flavour profile is a prominent characteristic.

More from The Bar

Elegant cocktail with a dried citrus garnish on a wooden table in warm lighting
Smiling person enjoying a cocktail outdoors in bright lighting
Smiling person enjoying a cocktail outdoors in bright lighting

Stay Inspired

Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive recipes, insider secrets and special offers - all delivered straight to your inbox.

  • Brands
  • Recipes
  • Experiences
  • Inspiration
  • Products
Country
Country
  • About Us
Facebook logoInstagram
Drink responsibly This content is intended for audience above legal drinking age as specified by their state/country of residence. Enjoy & Share Responsibly.