"A deliciously sweet martini made with limoncello, vodka, sweet and sour mix, and a dash of lemon. Dress it up with lemon-flavored sugar along the rim!"
We may be a few inches away from the start of a new school year (and the beginning of Fall and Halloween and pumpkin spice and OMG 2017) but the heat is still blazing here in Phoenix. And for better or for worse, these 100+ temperatures will be lingering around for us well into September.
I’m not even joking here. It’ll be months before I’ll be able to experience the joy of a crisp fall breeze.
So, what does all this weather chit-chat mean for you?
Well, it means that I’ll still need plenty of chilled beverages to cool down my evenings with, and this lemon drop martini is my latest obsession.
I’ve been a big fan of limoncello ever since a good friend of ours introduced me to it years ago – but then, who isn’t a fan of limoncello?
How can you not love it once you’ve tried it?
It’s like a drinkable lemon drop candy, and made all the better by it being a liqueur.
I might be alone here on this one, but there’s something special about having a “grown up” version of your favorite childhood treats.
I mean, there’s gotta be some perks all these adult responsibilities, right? For me, that’s aging up all of my favorite tastes from yesteryears.
This isn’t the first time I’ve made a recipe with limoncello – just check out these limoncello cupcakes or the limoncello dressing on this fruit salad – and I guarantee it won’t be the last time. Limoncello is just too good not to enjoy it in all possible forms.
And as for how this Lemon Drop Martini turned out?
It was an absolutely perfect addition to my evening chill-out routine after a long, especially warm day. It’s sweet just limoncello but with an extra twist of lemon. It’s like a slemonademonade, but somehow still manages to be even better.
Next up on my cooking to-do list is to make limoncello from scratch.
It takes a few months to do it properly, but when it’s done?
Totally win on all fronts.
Plus, I need an endless limoncello resource for all these martinis I’ll be making!
Lemon Drop Martini
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz lemon juice plus more for rim garnish (optional)
- 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar plus more for rim garnish (optional)
- 1.5 oz vodka
- 1.5 oz limoncello
- 3 oz Sweet and Sour mix
- 1 lemon sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Using two wide, flat plates, pour about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in one plate and about 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar in the other. Dip the rim of a martini glasses in the lemon juice, then roll the wet rims in granulated sugar. Set coated glasses aside.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add vodka, limoncello, sweet and sour mix, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake well. TIP: A standard shot glass holds about 1.5 oz.
- Pour into prepared martini glasses. Garnish with a floating slice of lemon.