Summer Cocktail Series: Classic Lemon Drop Martini

A recipe for a classic lemon drop martini.

There’s just something about a classic cocktail that never goes out of style, and the Lemon Drop Martini is one of my all-time favorites. It’s also the perfect cocktail for summer, a girls’ night, date night at home, or even when you want to treat yourself to something special without spending a fortune..

It’s light, refreshing, and perfectly balanced between tart and sweet. Best of all? You don’t need a fully stocked bar to make it! As part of my Summer Cocktail Series, I’m showing you how to create simple, affordable cocktails using just one bottle of liquor and a few fresh ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Drop Martini
  • Simple Ingredients: Only vodka, triple sec, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a little sugar for the rim.
  • Fresh & Flavorful: Using fresh lemon juice makes all the difference.
  • Perfectly Balanced: Sweet, tart, and so refreshing.
Instructions:
Rimming a martini glass with simple syrup.
Rimming a martini glass with sugar.

1. Rim your martini glass with lemon juice or simple syrup. Then swirl the rim of your glass with sugar and place it in the freezer to chill. Chill your glass in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Adding vodka to a cocktail shaker.
Adding triple sec to a cocktail shaker.
Adding fresh lemon juice to cocktail shaker.
Adding simple syrup to cocktail shaker.

2. In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, lemon juice, triple sec, and simple syrup.

Adding ice to a cocktail shaker.
Shaking martini ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

3. Add ice and shake for 10–15 seconds, until well chilled.

Pouring a lemon drop martini into a martini glass.
garnishing martini glass with a lemon slice.

4. Pour and garnish with a lemon wheel or twist.

Sipping lemon drop martini from a martini glass.

5. Sip and enjoy! Cheers!

A recipe for a classic lemon drop martini.

Lemon Drop Martini

Classic Lemon Drop Martini – Easy, Refreshing, and Perfect for Summer
Prep Time:5 minutes
Total Time:10 minutes
Course: Drinks
Servings: 1
Calories: 185kcal
Author: tspaulding

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Vodka
  • 1-1/2 tbsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 1 tbsp Triple Sec
  • 1 tbsp Simple Syrup
  • Sugar (for rimming glass)
  • Lemon Wheel or Twist (for optional garnish)

Instructions

  • Rim your martini glass with lemon juice or simple syrup, dip it in sugar, and chill the freezer for 10 minutes.
  • In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, lemon juice, triple sec, and simple syrup.
  • Add ice and shake for 10–15 seconds, until well chilled.
  • Pour and garnish with a lemon wheel or twist.
  • Sip and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe makes one classic Lemon Drop Martini, but it’s easy to scale up for guests. Simply multiply the ingredients while keeping the same ratio:
3 parts vodka | 1.5 parts lemon juice | 1 part triple sec | 1 part simple syrup
For 4 servings:
  • 6 oz vodka
  • 3 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 2 oz triple sec
  • 2 oz simple syrup
Shake in batches or mix in a pitcher and pour over fresh ice when ready to serve. Perfect for entertaining!

You'll Also Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating