Lemon Drop Martini is a classic gin based cocktail that needs to be in your repertoire!
For more classic drinks check out Negroni Fizz and Long Island Iced Tea.
When my husband suggested making a lemon drop martini it was met with an immediate “No way!” from me.
All I could think about was a cloyingly sweet drink that people who don’t actually like drinking order. An alcoholic Shirley Temple. Too girly for my taste.
Lemon Drop Martini
And just like that I was told that I was very wrong. The classic version of the lemon drop martini is perfectly balanced and quite sophisticated. A drink that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to serve at a dinner party.
I have to admit I am a big fan of lemon and gin mixes, so I decided to give it a try. I’ve reduced the sweetness to bring out the crisp lemon and added a hint of vanilla to make it my own.
So how would I describe this Lemon Drop Martini? In one word. Fabulous.
In many words. It tastes like what I imagined grown up sweets would taste like when I was wee and enjoying my lemon drop.
This cocktail is light, refreshing, with strong hint of vanilla and a gentle sourness of the lemon drop. Pop in a golden sugar stir stick for more intense sweetness if you wish. I did.
How to make it
This is a cocktail that is at it’s best when cold, so shake with a lot of ice and until the shaker is too cold to hold. And to keep it from warming up too fast, pop your glasses in the freezer beforehand.
It turns out it’s possible to create something fun and sophisticated at the same time.
For more gin cocktails check out my Three Creative Ways with Gin and Tonic
Lemon Drop Martini
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounce Gin
- ½ ounce Triple Sec
- ½ ounce lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 sugar stir stick optional
Instructions
- Pour the sugar in a saucer. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with a lemon half and dip in sugar to coat the rim.
- In a cocktail shaker combine gin, triple sec, lemon juice, vanilla and fill it up with ice. Shake until the cocktail shaker is too cold to hold.
- Pour in the cocktail glass and decorate with a lemon slice. Use golden sugar stir stick if desired.
