Perfect Lemon Drop Martini

How to make the best lemon drop martini cocktail with a homemade lemon sugar rim. This is one of our absolute favorite cocktails to make at home.

We’ve been making these lemon drop martinis for years. Our friends know them well, and if you read through the comments, our readers do, too.

The key to the best lemon drop martini is balancing sour and sweet. Our recipe calls for fresh lemon juice. It’s incredible!

Key Ingredients

• Vodka: The base of a lemon drop is vodka, so use one you enjoy. A few of our favorite mid-priced vodka brands are Kettle One, Stolichnaya (Stoli), and Tito’s.
• Cointreau or Triple Sec: Both are orange-flavored liqueurs. I especially love Cointreau, but it is more expensive than Triple Sec, so use whichever you prefer.
• Lemon: Fresh lemon juice is best when making lemon drop martinis. I use the juice from half a large lemon to make one cocktail. I also love using lemon zest for the sugar rim!
• Simple syrup: Use store-bought or make your own. Here’s how I make simple syrup.

How to Make a Lemon Drop Martini

To make the best lemon drop martini, I highly recommend adding lemon sugar to the rim of your martini glass. It takes this cocktail up a notch. To make it, use a microplane to zest a lemon into sugar. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it smells like lemon and looks pale yellow. Then, spread the lemon sugar out on a plate.

Chill your martini glass, rub a lemon wedge around the rim, and dunk the glass into the lemon sugar.

I use a cocktail shaker filled with ice when making lemon drop martinis. Add vodka, Cointreau (or Triple Sec), fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, close the lid, and shake until very cold. Strain the martini into your prepared glass and enjoy!

Make Ahead Lemon Drop Martinis

Lemon drop martinis are perfect for making ahead. I love doing this when I have a group of friends coming over! Instead of making each martini individually, you’ll make a large batch in a pitcher and then chill it in the fridge. You can also make the lemon sugar in advance!

To make a pitcher that serves 4, you will need 1 cup (8oz) vodka, 6 tablespoons (3oz) Cointreau, 1/2 cup (4oz) lemon juice, and 6 tablespoons (3oz) simple syrup.

To serve them, moisten the rim of each glass, dip it in the lemon sugar, and then pour in the premade martini. It’s easy. You can also do this with Cosmopolitan martini cocktails!