Lemon Drop Drink Recipe

➤ Introduction for Lemon Drop Drink Recipe

Listen, if you haven’t had a Lemon Drop drink yet, you are seriously missing out! This drink is not just another drink to add to the menu. This drink is bottled joy, with a kick. JUST THINK – that tart lemon flavor that makes your mouth water, combined with smooth vodka that doesn’t burn going down, and just enough sweetness to perfection.

I’ll always remember my first one. It was me and my girls at a solid place down downtown (five years ago now), and I got in the mood to try something different. One taste of that Lemon Drop and I was SOLD. There was something about it being refreshing while still being potent – as if someone captured the essence of summer and packaged it for your enjoyment.

So check it out – some bartender in the ’70s literally saved us from horrible vodka. When Norman Jay Hobday worked at Henry Africa’s in San Francisco, he recognized that people wanted to have vodka drinks but hated how they burned going down their throat. So he created the Lemon Drop as a remedy. I always think to myself when I make one, “This little drink has probably made more parties than I have.” It is amazing to think how something began with one person’s “let me try this,” and we have been drinking Lemon Drops for the last fifty years.

➤ Why I Love This Lemon Drop Drink Recipe

• Anyway, I am in love with this Lemon Drop Drink. And honestly? I feel like it nails that sweet sour thing just about perfectly. It’s like those sour gummies you ate when you were a kid got their act together.
• That sugar rim is genius – you get this sweet hit first, then the lemon smacks you with all that tart goodness, and the vodka just rounds everything out with its clean kick. Oddly enough, every sip seems different and yet perfect in its own right.

➤ Lemon Drop Drink Recipe Ingredients

What you’ll need for the drink:

•2 oz good vodka (I swear by Tito’s – it’s perfect for this)
•1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice (seriously, don’t even think about that bottled stuff)
•3/4 oz simple syrup (homemade is the way to go)
•Lots of ice
•For the rim and looks:
•1-2 tablespoons regular sugar
•Fresh lemon wheel or twist
•Extra lemon wedge to rim your glass

When I want to get fancy:

•Tiny bit of flaky sea salt mixed into that sugar (trust me on this one)
•Few drops vanilla extract in the simple syrup
•Meyer lemon juice if you can get your hands on it – it’s sweeter and just tastes better

Here’s the deal… When you only have a couple of ingredients, every one of those ingredients needs to be perfect. There’s nowhere to hide if you’re making a drink that simple. That’s why I try to keep fresh lemons on my counter. Not for cooking, but when I’m ready to make a cocktail correctly.

➤ How to Make Lemon Drop Drink Recipe

Let’s get it. I am going to explain how I do this every time.

1 • Step 1: Chill the glass

•First things first, we need to chill the martini glass. Put it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes or fill it with ice water while you’re getting everything ready. Obviously, a cold glass will keep your drink at the right temperature for a lot longer.

2 • Step 2: Sugar rim

•Take a lemon wedge and rub it uniformly along the rim. The rim doesn’t have to be perfect, just don’t rush this step either. Pour some sugar onto a small plate and roll the rim through the sugar while holding it at a slight angle. Roll must be slow, the key is to get an even coating as much as possible. Give it a little tap to remove any loose sugar.

3 • Step 3: Shaker time

•Put your vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup in your shaker with a ton of ice – at least two-thirds full. Then, shake as hard as you can to get it cold for about 15-20 seconds until you can barely hold the shaker anymore because it is so cold.

4 • Step 4: Strain it into the glass

•Strain it through one of those fine mesh strainers into the glass, catching the ice bits and lemon pulp. Go slow to maintain that beautiful sugar rim you incorporated in the last step.

5 • Step 5: Make it look pretty

•Drop in a lemon wheel or twist. If you’re going with a twist, make sure you squeeze the lemon twist over the drink first to get the oils out – that’s the good stuff. If you’ve made it to this point, the whole process will take maybe 5 minutes, and it’s well worth the time. You’ll end up with something that tastes delicious and looks like it’s from a high-end bar.

➤ Lemon Drop Drink Recipe Tips and Variations

• Fresh lemon juice is key – the bottled stuff will destroy your drink with some weird fake flavor. I usually juice the lemons about 30 minutes before I make the drink, so that it isn’t ice cold. Do you want it sweeter? Add more simple syrup. More pucker? Add more lemon juice.
• I like to play around with flavors too. Lavender simple syrup makes a great Lavender Lemon Drop (as opposed to regular simple syrup). Or muddle a few fresh blueberries in the shaker first for a Blueberry version. Around the holidays I do a Rosemary one and use a sprig of fresh rosemary as garnish – the smell is amazing.

➤ Serving Suggestions for Lemon Drop Drink Recipe

• This cocktail works for just about anything. Brunch is awesome – that bright citrus flavor pairs really well with eggs benedict or fruit. I also always make these as welcome drinks for dinner parties because they look fancy but aren’t scary. And summer barbecues? Game-changing when the weather is hot.
• Food wise, for seafood, they are amazing – grilled salmon, crab cakes, oysters, whatever. That acidic kick just works with all the salty, briny stuff. I also like to pair them with light desserts, lemon bars or key lime pie. For apps, goat cheese crostini or smoked salmon are ideal.

If you loved this lemon drop, you should definitely try my Shirley Temple next! both are sweet and refreshing and totally happy – one’s a grown-up boozy version of the other that’s all pure nostalgic kid-friendly. Good vibes, ok experiences.

➤ Storage and Leftovers

• My homemade simple syrup will last in the fridge for like a month. Fresh lemon juice is best the same day it was juiced, but you can probably push it to 3 days if you have to. Anytime I am juicing lemons, I always juice extra.
• Don’t try making these drinks ahead of time because the ice will melt and ruin the drinks. Don’t sugar the rim more than an hour before guests arrive, or the sugar will become disgusting and sticky.

➤ Lemon Drop Drink Recipe FAQs

Q: Is bottled lemon juice okay for my lemon drop drink?

⤷ A: Please don’t. The difference is huge – fresh lemon juice is bright and clean; the bottled stuff has some weird fake acididty that ruins the drink. Just spend a few extra minutes squeezing fresh lemons!

Q: What vodka should I use for the best lemon drop drink?

⤷ A: I am in love with Tito’s – it’s super smooth and doesn’t compete with the lemon in this lemon drop drink. Grey Goose and Belvedere are also good options. You don’t have to spend a ton of money, but don’t go with the really bottom shelf vodka either.

Q: Can I make my lemon drop drink more or less sweet?

⤷ A: Yes! If you want the lemon drop drink more tart, then add more lemon juice. If it’s too sweet, use less simple syrup. Remember – I’m always tasting and adjusting based on how I like it.