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Lemon Drop Shot

The Lemon Drop is a much better shot than people give it credit for. It’s tart, it’s crisp, and much like Limoncello liqueur, it can cleanse a palette as a chaser.

Lemon Drop Shot
Lemon Drop Shot

Is it among the more complex drink recipes? No, it is not.

But a good cocktail, or shot in this case, doesn’t need to possess aromas of toffee and rich leather to delight. The single lemon flavor is consistent, yet bold enough to stand on its own.

That’s why you can also order Lemon Drop Cocktails, including a Lemon Drop Martini or Lemon Drop Margarita. To be fair, there’s a little bit of variation to the latter.

The shot is essentially modeled after Lemon Drop candy, with the sugared lemon doing most of the heavy lifting. In cocktail form, the Lemon Drop can be enjoyed in sips, as opposed to shooting it down.

It’s a virtual zero when it comes to prep time and it’s a super easy way to convince yourself you’ve had the appropriate amount of Vitamin C intake on the day. So yay, liquor!

Lemon Drop Shot Tips

For added fun, we like to dip the lemon wedge into the cocktail sugar. We also like to make Lemon Drop shots in bulk.

If you’re going that route, make sure to just add up the appropriate amounts. For a round of 4 shots, you are going to want to up your ingredient amounts to 4 ounces vodka, 2 ounces lemon juice and 2 ounces simple syrup.

Pros make sure that they also have 4 lemon wedges ready to garnish their shots of liquor.

Quality Vodka to use

  • Absolut
  • Grey Goose
  • Ketel One
  • Titos Handmade Vodka

Lemon Drop Mixes

To make Lemon Drop Martinis, Margaritas or even Lemon Drop Shots, you can purchase pre-made mixes to just add your favorite high quality vodka to. Here is a quick list of available mixes below. Feel free to order them right through Amazon.

  • Skinny Night Out Lemon Martini Mix
  • Stirrings Lemon Drop Cocktail Mix
  • Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Drop Mix
  • Sur La Table Lemon Drop Mix

Lemon Drop Canned Cocktails

Welcome to the new age of cocktail recipes: Canned Cocktails!

Much like special effects in movies, canned cocktails have come a long way toward replicating their real life counterparts, and in almost all cases, are much more convenient.

Canned cocktails bring the total time of preparing a cocktail down to zero. But let’s be honest, prepping your own DIY drinks is way more fun. If you're in it for convenience, try Costa Drop.

Equipment

  1. Cocktail Shaker
  2. Cocktail Sugar
  3. Fresh Lemon Slices
  4. Shot Glass

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount
Fresh Lemon Juice 0.5oz
Simple Syrup 0.5oz
Vodka 0.5oz

Substitute Ingredients & Variations

  • A granulated white sugar cube can replace the Simple Syrup
  • A lemon-flavored vodka such as Absolut Citron can be used in a pinch with a sweetener to replace the unflavored vodka and lemon juice.

Steps

  1. 1.

    Gather Ingredients

    You're going to need a bottle of Vodka, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, some lemon slices and cocktail sugar to make a Lemon Drop Shot.

  2. 2.

    Build a Sugar Rim

    Create a sugar rim around the shot glass by rubbing a lemon wedge on the outer lip of the shot glass first, and then rubbing the rim in some sugar that you placed on a plate.

  3. 3.

    Add Ice

    Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.

  4. 4.

    Add Ingredients to Shaker

    Pour the vodka, freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup (or granulated sugar) into a cocktail shaker.

  5. 5.

    Shake and Strain

    Pour the mix of Vodka, Simple Syrup and Lemon Juice into the sugar-rimmed shot glass.

  6. Step Six: Serve the Lemon Drop Shot
    6.

    Serve the Shot

    You're finished making the shot. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Enjoy.

FAQs

What type of glass do you pour a Lemon Drop shot into?

A Standard Shot Glass.

Alternatives