Lemon Drop
A citrus and sour liqueur cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 19.5% ABV ∙
The Lemon Drop is a shaken limoncello sour with vodka and fresh lemon juice, fine-strained into a chilled coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Limoncello liqueur 60 mlVodka 30 mlLemon juice 20 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- At 60 ml, the limoncello brings all the sugar this drink needs, so skip the syrup and the sugared rim. If it needs a nudge, adjust the lemon rather than adding sweetener.
History
The Lemon Drop was invented sometime in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday, founder and proprietor of Henry Africa's, a fern bar he opened in 1969 in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. Hobday's drink was built from vodka, triple sec, and lemon juice and served straight up, often with a sugared rim. It has been described as essentially a vodka-based riff on a Sidecar, or on the older crusta style of sour. This version replaces the triple sec with limoncello.
After its introduction at Henry Africa's, the drink spread quickly through San Francisco bars and later became a common shooter variant in the 1990s, served in a shot glass rather than a stemmed one. While Hobday's authorship of the drink is well documented, the exact circumstances and date of its creation are not precisely recorded, and some retellings place the story anywhere from the early to late 1970s.
FAQ
What's in a Lemon Drop cocktail?
Limoncello 60 ml, vodka 30 ml and fresh lemon juice 20 ml. The limoncello is the largest pour and brings the sweetness and candied-lemon flavor; the fresh juice keeps it tart.
What are the three ingredients in a Lemon Drop?
Limoncello, vodka and fresh lemon juice. There is no syrup and no sugared rim: at 60 ml, the limoncello brings all the sugar the drink needs.
Is there a difference between a Lemon Drop and a Lemon Drop Martini?
Usually not: both names mean the same shaken lemon cocktail served up, and "Martini" only refers to the stemmed glass. This version does differ from Norman Jay Hobday's original in one way: it swaps his triple sec for limoncello.
What's the secret to a perfect Lemon Drop?
Fresh lemon juice and a hard shake to chill and dilute it. Express the lemon twist over the surface just before serving so its oils reach the nose first. If it tastes too sweet, add lemon, not sweetener.
How do you make a simple Lemon Drop?
Shake limoncello, vodka, and fresh lemon juice with ice, fine-strain into a chilled coupe, and express a lemon twist over the top.
