Name: Lemon Drop Martini
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Citrus vodka; 7.5 ml Triple sec; 22.5 ml Lemon juice; 15 ml Sugar syrup (2:1)

Lemon Drop Martini
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Glass:

Serve in a Martini glass

Ingredients:
2 oz	Ketel One Citroen Vodka
¹⁄₄ oz	Cointreau triple sec liqueur
³⁄₄ oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₂ oz	Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a MARTINI GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Sherbety lemon - well-balanced and refreshing, but not really a Martini.

View readers' comments

Variations/similar cocktails:

Lemon Drop Crusta
Lemon Drop Shot

History:

An alternatini which emerged and become popular during the 1990s. Like the Lemon Drop shot, it is believed to have morphed a Lemon Drop cocktail created in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday at his Henry Africa's bar in San Francisco, California.

Nutrition:

One serving of Lemon Drop Martini contains 201 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
18.91% alc./vol. (37.82° proof)
21.3 grams of pure alcohol

More Citrusy cocktails
More Sours (citrus) cocktails

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 7 comments for Lemon Drop Martini.
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Egg McKenzie

24th May 2025 at 20:32

balanced recipe. refreshing but not interesting.

Dave D.

5th January 2025 at 00:25

Always a favorite when I want to taste lemon. Sugar rim is an added taste I like on occasion !

Peter McCarthy

6th June 2024 at 01:42

Tart and just sweet enough for what it is. Tasty!

kaitlin ward

20th August 2023 at 23:19

replaced the vodka with rose gin & cut the simple syrup to 75%; added a sugar and hibiscus flower powder rim - was delicious!

margaret badger

1st October 2022 at 19:44

I love this website - so clear and easy to use. Thank you Simon! Anyway, Very nicely balanced cocktail - although we did reduce the sugar syrup based on John Hinojos’ comment below - good call! This worked for us. A new favourite!

Simon Difford

2nd October 2022 at 09:37

Thanks for your kind words. I have to thank Paloma, Harry, Matt, Alex and Dan as not possible without them.

Alex Sperti

11th December 2021 at 19:00

Really enjoyed this. Lovely and fresh.
2nd time around I replaced the sugar syrup with Limoncello this added an extra sharpness

John Hinojos

10th October 2021 at 20:20

this was great. Had it with brunch today. Was concerned it would be a bit to sweet for us, so we use dry Curacao and 2/3s of the sugar syrup. Outstanding. Moving over to my favourites.

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