Hello, lemon lovers, this recipe is for you! My mouth is all puckered up and ready to talk about the tantalizing tartness of this Lemon Drop Martini. If you’re a fan of the Lemon Drop cocktail at Cheesecake Factory but don’t get excited about dropping loads of money on one drink, you will absolutely fall in love with this homemade version.

This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor.

With only three ingredients this cocktail comes together in a snap. It’s so refreshing and cold, a perfect balance of sweet and sour. It’ll definitely be a summertime favorite. Try this Key Lime Martini, Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini, Ginger Lemon Martini or Lemon Ginger Mojito for a few lemony alternatives.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE A PERFECT LEMON DROP MARTINI?

All you need is some good quality vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. No triple sec in this recipe. You won’t even miss it.

The key to making the perfect Lemon Drop Martini is balancing the sour and sweet. Do this by using my delicious simple syrup recipe for this cocktail. And make sure you’re using fresh lemon juice. Like, from an actual lemon. Tip: roll your lemons on the counter for a couple of seconds to release the juices before cutting.

HOW DO YOU MAKE LEMON DROP MARTINIS?

To prep your martini glass, rub a lemon wedge along the rim and dip into sugar.
In a shaker full of ice, combine a couple of ounces of vodka with an ounce of simple syrup.
Squeeze the juice of about half a lemon into the mixture, making sure to remove any stray seeds or pulp.
Shake, shake, shake! The longer you shake, the colder the cocktail will get, and this one is very best served ice cold.
Pour into your sugar-rimmed martini glass. Cheers to all things lemon!

For some other gorgeous and delicious summertime treats, try this Blood Orange Martini, Orange Dreamsicle Martini or a batch of Strawberry Lemonade Beergaritas.

Lemon Drop Martini

This Lemon Drop Martini is a classic! So simple and easy to make, yet completely delicious and perfect!

Servings 1 martini

Ingredients

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce simple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about half a lemon. strained to remove seeds and pulp
extra lemon for garnish and rimming the glass
sugar for garnishing the glass

Instructions

Fill a martini shaker with ice.
Rub a lemon wedge around the edge of a martini glass. Dip the glass in sugar.
Add the vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup to the martini shaker. Shake to combine.
Pour into the prepared glass.