Lemon Drop Martini (with Limoncello)
This Lemon Drop Martini made with icy cold Limoncello is the most delicious summer cocktail. A lemon drop is a light and refreshing vodka martini with a fresh burst of tart 🍋 lemony sweetness.
This summer cocktail recipe is one of my favorite cocktails with limoncello.
A lemon drop martini is traditionally made with fresh lemon juice, vodka, and Cointreau, an orange-flavored liqueur. This cocktail recipe can also be made with limoncello.
I love everything lemon, and I thought it was about time to share my favorite lemon summer cocktail recipe. I hope you’ll love this recipe as much as I do.
Don’t forget to pin this recipe to save it for later!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- 🍋 Lemony. If lemon is your thing, this refreshing lemon drop martini will surely be your jam.
- Easy. This cocktail is super easy to make and even easier to drink.
- Make a batch. You can make this recipe a batch cocktail to serve in a 35-ounce beverage container and keep it on ice for a backyard cookout.
Top Martini Tips
- Chill everything. Chill your martini glasses in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Icy-cold vodka is also a win-win in martini recipes.
- Use crushed ice. Using crushed ice in your cocktail shaker gives this martini cocktail an icy, cold mouth feel.
- Coat the rim with refined sugar flavored with lemon.
- Garnish with a twist of lemon or a lemon wheel.
What You’ll Need
- Vodka. I used Ocean vodka, which is an organic quality vodka from Hawaii. It’s made from sugar cane and is super delicious.
- Limoncello. I used my homemade Limoncello, but you can use any brand.
- Cointreau. Cointreau or Triple Sec, an orange liqueur, adds a bright citrus note to this lemon drop recipe.
- Lemon Juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always best.
- Lemon Sugar*. Lemon sugar is used to rim the glass of this cocktail. You can buy lemon sugar or make your own by adding the zest of one lemon + 1/2 cup sugar to a food processor and processing the sugar until it is super fine. (see notes)
How to Make a Lemon Drop
A lemon martini cocktail should be super cold. The liquor can even be stored in the freezer beforehand, so it’s freezer-cold. Chilling your martini glasses in the freezer is also a good idea. They will get that frosty chill in about 10 minutes.
- Chill. Start by chilling the alcohol and glass at least a few hours before.
- Mix. Add the crushed ice and the alcohol to a shaker and shake gently to mix.
- Serve. Serve with a twist of lemon zest.
Recipe Variations
Planning for a party. If you have a planned cookout, you can make this lemon martini recipe up as a batch cocktail (see recipe card) and then store it on ice.
I love to use my Weck beverage pitchers (affiliate link) for this.
Storing + Freezing Tips
How to store
If you want to make a large batch of this Lemon Drop Martini Recipe, store it in the fridge or the freezer until you’re ready to bring it out.
If it’s warm out, you can freeze this lemon cocktail for several hours before the party; it may get a bit slushy, but it will thaw super quickly and then be ice cold when you serve it.
More Cocktail Recipes
Find more delicious cocktail recipes like my 🥃 Old Fashioned cocktail recipe or my 🍾 Champagne Cocktail with Cranberry. I also have a version of the 🥂 French 52 and my 🍑 Bulle Peche Cocktail.
My favorites, of course, are tiki cocktails like the Blue Hawaii Cocktail and the Pineapple Martini, which is so much more than just pineapple and vodka.
Try your hand at making some homemade Limoncello (Lemoncello). It’s so easy: just three ingredients and a little bit of patience.
Blue Hawaii Cocktail
Chai Latte with Homemade Chai Spice Blend
Old Fashioned Cocktail
Pineapple Margarita
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Lemon Drop Recipe with Limoncello
Equipment
- cocktail shaker (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ fl ounces Vodka
- 1 ½ fl ounces Limoncello
- ½ fl ounce Cointreau
- ⅔ ounces Lemon juice
- Crushed ice
- Lemon sugar, to rim the glass
Make 2 Lemon Drops
- 3 fl ounces Vodka
- 3 fl ounces Limoncello
- 1 fl ounce Cointreau
- 1 ⅓ fl ounces Lemon juice
Lemon Drop Batch Cocktail (Makes 35 Ounces or 8 Cocktails)
- 12 fl ounces Vodka, (1 ½ cups)
- 12 fl ounces Limoncello, (1 ½ cups)
- 4 fl ounces Cointreau, (½ cup)
- 5 ⅓ fl ounces Lemon juice, (⅔ cups)
Instructions
- Chill your martini glasses in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove them right before you are ready to pour your cocktails and rim with superfine lemon sugar.
- Add crushed ice to your cocktail shaker.
- Add the vodka, limoncello, Cointreau, and the lemon juice to the shaker.
- Shake vigerously and pour into a glass rimmed with lemon sugar.
Video
Laura’s Tips + Notes
- Add the zest of one lemon + 1/2 cup of superfine sugar to a food processer fitted with an S-blade.
- Process the sugar and the lemon zest until it is super fine.
YOUR OWN NOTES
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This looks amazing! Do you think it’d work to make a huge batch in a drink dispenser for a summer party? I’m wondering if it’d stay mixed well enough or the alcohol would sink to the bottom…
Amber, yes, this cocktail is great as a batch cocktail. I even put the measurements for you right in the recipe card. I like to mix these up in a carafe and put them in an ice bucket. That way, the ice can’t dilute the drink, and you can give it a quick shake or swirl before pouring.
I hope it turns out delicious!!!
I was getting ready to make your batch recipe, but I’m wondering if the 10 ½ fl ounces Lemon juice, (1 ⅓ cups) is correct for 8 cocktails? You have 1-1/3 ounce of lemon juice for 2 cocktails, and if I were to multiply that by 4 (to make 8 cocktails), wouldn’t the correct amount of lemon juice be 5-1/3 ounces of lemon juice? Thank you!
Oh geez. Thanks for catching that. I’ll fix the typo right now. 🥰
Thank you for the recipe! I made this last night for a friend who said she had never had a good lemon drop at home…..she was blown away with this!! It was delicious.
Thank you for the review Jacki! I’m so happy to hear that your friend loved this cocktail. Happy cooking.
Looks delicious! I’m anxious to know where you got your graduated cylinder measure?
Please tell me!
Lindsey, I’m an ex-forensic scientist, so I’m a little bit of a lab geek. You can find these on Amazon.
Anxious to try this. You have 12 ounces as the equivalent of 3 cups on the larger recipe. 12 ounces is 1 and a half cups. b
Oh geez, thank you for catching that. I’m updating the post right now.
I received a bottle of home made limoncello and tried your recipe. Needless to say your recipe is a keeper! Could I blend in some cream at the end?
Sharon, Thank you so much for the comment. A creamy limoncello sounds amazing. You could definitely give it a try. I’d love to hear how it comes out.
This is such a great cocktail for summer. Refreshing and perfect for our pool party.
Thanks Jessica! It does seem like lemon and summer are made for each other.
Love the combo of Cointreau and Limoncello. All the Vitamin C needed to go with Vitamin V. (vodka 🙂 ) Can’t wait to sip this by the pool. Yum!!
Ahhh yes LOL vitamin V. Thank you so much for the review. And have a super happy summer!
What a great drink for summer! Love the idea to freeze it for slushy and also love the yellow sugar!
Thank you, Seanna! I hope this recipe keeps you cool all summer long.
I love lemon & vodka so I was sure this was a winner. I wasn’t disappointed. So refreshing after a long hike! I have used this vodka before & was sure it would be great! Thanks for another great recipe!
Oh wow is this good! The limoncello in it is amazing, and the lemon sugar is so pretty!
This is really yummy! It’s often harder to make a simple cocktail with just the right balance – but this one does it 🙂
Thank you Lisa, I hope this cocktail keeps your summer sweet!!
So delicious especially on a hot summer day!