Lemon Drop Martini

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Lemon Drop Martini made with Limoncello, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and a sugar rimmed glass is the perfect combination of sweet and sour in this refreshing cocktail. This fun and easy cocktail recipe is perfect for serving at parties all summer long!

Check out the Holiday Martinis page for even more festive, easy to whip up martini recipes for any holiday gathering throughout the year!

a lemon drop martini and a huckleberry lemon martini in sugar rimmed martini glasses.

I originally shared this recipe November 2014. Updated January 2023.

Recipe Inspiration

While I was in Idaho for my Mom’s birthday, she through a dinner party for some of her friends…and I was the Chef!

Let’s start with the best Lemon Drop Martini, and then I will explain the rest. This is my Mom’s new favorite drink!! I have been hearing about them for months now, and you know me, I had to investigate.

So we went to Bardenay’s Restaurant for a Three Martini lunch, and also tried their Huckleberry Lemon Drop Martinis.

Huckleberry Lemon Drop Martini in a bar.

I think I may now have a new favorite cocktail as well. I prefer the regular Lemon Drop over the Huckleberry, but they are both delicious. Personally, I thought the huckleberries tasted like blueberries. So in my mind they are interchangeable.

Why make a lemon drop martini with limoncello?

Bardenay’s makes their own lemon vodka, which is probably why they are dangerously delicious. We tried making them at home with Absolut Citron, but they weren’t quite the same.

Limoncello is much closer to the original, and is also sweeter than lemon vodka, so I was able to create a smooth lemon martini without needing to add simple syrup.

For more simple limoncello cocktails, check out Limoncello Spritzer and Passion Tea Lemonade Cocktail.

huckleberry lemon drop marini in a sugar rimmed martini glass garnished with a lemon slice.

🍸How to make a Lemon Drop Martini with Limoncello

Start by rubbing lemon juice around the rim of a martini glass, then dip the glasses in super fine sugar.

Martini glass upside down in a sugar filled plate.

Garnish with lemon slices and set aside. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and add the limoncello (or high quality lemon vodka), triple sec, and lemon juice.

Lemon Drop Martinis in a cocktail shaker.

Shake to combine, and pour into prepared glasses. Garnish with a lemon slice or lemon twist and serve immediately.

a lemon drop martini sitting in front of a huckleberry martini each garnished with a lemon slice.

Recipe FAQs

What is Limoncello?

It is an Italian lemon liqueur that is mainly produced in southern Italy using Sorrento lemons. It is traditionally served chilled as a digestivo, or after the meal.

Limoncello is made with the zest, or peels without the pitch of lemons that is steeped in rectified spirit until the oil is released. It has a slightly cloudy appearance created by the essential oil droplets that remain suspended in the cocktail.

What kind of Limoncello is good for cocktails?

The most popular brands include Il Tramonto, Lazzaroni, Pallini, Caravella, and Vincenzi. Not all brands are available in all areas, and some states have their own local favorites.

What are huckleberries?

Huckleberries are the state fruit of Idaho, and according to Wikipedia – “The berries are small and round, 5–10 mm in diameter and look like dark blueberries. In taste, the berries range from tart to sweet, with a flavor similar to that of a blueberry, especially in blue-and purple-colored varieties.
However, many kinds of huckleberries have a noticeable, distinct taste different from blueberries, and some have noticeably larger seeds.”

Recipe Variations

To change the flavor of your lemon drop martini, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of flavored syrup with the other ingredients before shaking.

Huckleberry Lemon Drop – if you have access to huckleberry syrup give it a try
Blueberry Lemon Drop Martini – substitute blueberries or raspberries for the blackberries in this simple syrup recipe
Strawberry Lemon Drop Martini

Libra Meal Inspiration

While we were having lunch, we put together the menu for the dinner party (which also serves as this month’s cooking with astrology libra meal). I thought it would be fun to stick with a Northwest theme since I was in Idaho.

collage with lemon drop martini, huckleberry glazed salmon, salad, and chocolate huckleberry bundt cake.

For the first course I made a Salad with candied pecans and Huckleberry Vinaigrette that is based on my Aquarius Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette from last year, I just substituted huckleberry jam for the blueberry preserves.

The second course included Huckleberry Glazed Salmon served with Goat Cheese Whipped Potatoes. Substitute blueberries if huckleberries are not available.

For dessert I created an amazing Chocolate Huckleberry Rum Cocktail Cake. You really should try it!

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Enjoy!!