Lemon Drop Martini

The combination of a little sweet and a little sour – mixed with liqueur – has won over cocktail drinkers, and with good reason: it’s a delicious combination! But while the margarita is perhaps one of the most popular cocktails to come out of the “sours” family of drinks, there’s another sour, the Lemon Drop Martini, that deserves a place in your rotation at home as an appetizer or later brunch sipper.

The Origins of the Lemon Drop Martini

The Lemon Drop Martini is a creation from the 1970s. It can be traced back to the long-defunct Henry Africa’s bar in San Francisco (one of the early “fern bars” that courted women with leafy greens and homey trappings), but the creator is lost to history. Lemon drops were a candy in the 19th century, and this is where the candy, both sweet and tart, was transformed into a drink with a similar flavor profile.

While many of the cocktails of the 1970s emerged during what cocktail historians have dubbed the “dark” period of beverage history, when drinks were cheaply made and sweet, the Lemon Drop has proven to be a popular cocktail decades later. But yes, like its brothers, it was originally a very sweet drink.

A modern, balanced take on the Lemon Drop Martini

For this modern take, I toned down the sweetness and ask you to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled juice is tart, but seriously lacks the brightness and freshness needed to balance the drink.

And since you’re using a full ounce of juice here, it should taste good! The natural, mouth-watering acidity is balanced with a touch of Cointreau, the orange-flavoured liqueur from the Triple-Sec family, and another splash of simple syrup.

Vodka is your base liquor here

A rim of a cocktail glass covered in sugar

Traditionally, the drink, served in a coupette, is garnished with a sugar-coated rim. Since we toned down the sweetness Within of the glass, I would suggest keeping that particular sugary tradition and rimming your glass as well.

To enhance the lemon aroma and flavor, we add about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest to the sugar before you top your glass (or even early if you’re thinking of it), mix together (a small fork works well for this) and leave You let it rest while you prepare your drink.

use one light touch when edging the outside – not the inside – of the glass. You need about 1/8 inch of liquid around the rim before firmly pressing your glass into the sugar-lemon mixture to coat it. This light layer of sugar adds some texture to your drinking experience, in addition to the occasional dash of sugar when sipping.

More wonderful martinis for you!

• dirty martini
• Appletini
• espresso martini
• Chocolate Martini
• 50/50 martini