Lemon Drop Shot
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 19% ABV ∙
The Lemon Drop Shot is equal parts vodka, triple sec and fresh lemon juice, shaken and fine-strained into a shot glass — the Lemon Drop cut to shooter size.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vodka 15 mlTriple sec 15 mlLemon juice 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a sugar-coated lemon slice
Tips
- Fine-strain after a hard shake so no ice shards land in the small shot glass.
- Coat the lemon slice in sugar just before serving so the sugar stays dry and crisp.
History
The Lemon Drop Shot descends from the Lemon Drop cocktail, invented sometime in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday, founder of Henry Africa's, a fern bar in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco that opened in 1969. The cocktail was most likely named after lemon drop candy, and it quickly spread from Hobday's bar to other San Francisco saloons before becoming a fixture of American vodka drinking.
The shot version took hold by the early 1990s, when bartenders often prepared the Lemon Drop as a shooter served straight in a shot glass rather than the original stemmed cocktail glass. This shooter format became one of the most widely served shots in American bars.
FAQ
What are lemon drop shots made of?
Equal parts vodka, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice — 15 ml each — garnished with a sugar-coated lemon slice.
How do you make a lemon drop shot?
Chill a shot glass, then shake vodka, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice with ice until well chilled. Fine-strain into the chilled glass and garnish with a sugar-coated lemon slice.
Why do bartenders dislike making lemon drop shots?
The complaint is usually about volume, not the drink itself. A dozen lemon drop shots means juicing fresh lemon, shaking each round, and fine-straining every one, in the time it takes to pour a few straight spirits. Made with fresh juice rather than bottled sour mix, it is one of the more labor-intensive shots on a busy night.
