How To Make The Best Lemon Drop Martini
The key to the best lemon drop martini is balancing sour and sweet. This is one of our absolute favorite cocktails to make at home. Read on below to see our tips for making it.
There are four things to keep in mind when making lemon drop martinis at home:
Use Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice. The juice from a bottle just wont cut it here. For one cocktail, you will need 1 ounce of lemon juice or the juice from half a large lemon.
Use quality vodka. Since this is a martini, theres quite a bit of vodka called for. You dont need to go straight to the top shelf, but choose a smooth vodka. A few of our favorites are Kettle One, Stolichnaya , and Titos.
Everything should be really cold. A lukewarm martini is no fun, so be sure to shake the heck out of it if you want to go the extra mile, chill the martini glasses, too.
Add a lemon sugar rim. Youve probably noticed rim sugar sold at the store. They are a great idea, but honestly, much easier to make at home yourself.
To make our lemon drops extra special, we add a simple lemon sugar rim to our glasses. You could certainly stick with plain sugar, but since youve already bought the lemons for the fresh lemon juice, you might as well whip up this zesty sugar, right?
To make it, rub the zest of one lemon into granulated sugar. Easy!
One more thing youll need simple syrup for this. You can buy simple syrup at the store for convenience, but its really easy to make at home.
How To Make Homemade Lemonade: Pitcher Or By The Glass
The key to vodka lemonade is a high-quality homemade lemonade. This recipe makes a pitcher of 8 to 9 cups, which is 8 servings of vodka lemonade. Its got just the right amount of sugar, but its not too sweet. You can also make it by the glass, if youre making only one serving at once. Heres what to do:
- Juice the lemons. This is the most time consuming part of the process! A citrus press juicer makes quick work of it.
- Mix the sugar with warm water. Theres no need to make a simple syrup on the stove. Just mix sugar and warm water.
- Add the cold water and lemon juice. Thats it! Go to our homemade lemonade recipe for the quantities for a pitcher and by the glass.
Do You Have To Use Fresh Lemon Juice For This Cocktail
I highly, HIGHLY recommend using fresh lemon juice for optimum flavor, but in a pinch you could use 2 tbsp of bottled lemon juice instead! You could also add a bit of lemon zest to your cocktail for added lemon flavor!
OH, and if you can get your hands on lemon flavored vodka, it is EXCELLENT in this drink. I havent been able to find any for a while!
This past weekend was a long weekend for us so this is my only new post this week. I took Monday off and we got some family bike riding in which worked out perfectly because it turns out that was the LAST warm day for the whole week!
Ugh. Rain. I know we need it but Im missing my old friend the sun! Come back!
Lets all have a cocktail!
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Cucumber Honey Lemon Vodka Martini
New Cocktail Alert! I am loving this new concoction for the spring and summer. It is my Cucumber Honey Lemon Vodka Martini.
Cucumber is a popular ingredient in drinks lately. The fresh taste of this vegetable mixed with lemon and honey makes a great warm weather combo.
This drink can be served with club soda added in just before serving, or not. Depends how much of a kick you want in your drink. If you add club soda, serve in a tumbler glass with ice. I like to use martini glasses for my cocktails, so I tend to add just a splash to top off my drink. The choice is yours!
I know you will love this when you try it for yourself.
+ Amazing Vodka Cocktails
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Get inspired with some of the best vodka cocktails on the internet. From classic vodka cocktail recipes like a Lemon Drop Martini to Sex on the Beach Slushies, with are more fun, we have tons of cocktail ideas for everyone.
Dont let making vodka cocktails at home scare you. Most of them are actually super simple to make! Take our Honey Greyhound Cocktail or Blackberry Moscow Mules. Both of these are fun, refreshing, and ready in less than 10 minutes.
Sometimes after a long week of work all you need is a stiff drink. Or, if youre a lightweight, something more fruity and less pungent might be the right drink for you. Either way, weve got tons of vodka cocktails for you to choose from that will fit any palette.
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How To Make Lemon Infused Vodka
The process for making infused vodka is very easy. It takes about five minutes to create and patience to wait until its done!
- Quarter three lemons and add them to a quart volume jar .
- Pour in two cups of neutral vodka.
- Seal the jar and place in a cool, dark location for one week.
- After one week, taste the vodka for flavor:
- If the lemon flavor is to your preference, discard the lemons, and keep the lemon vodka sealed in a cool, dark location indefinitely.
- If the flavor is not strong enough, allow the mixture to infuse longer tasting every few days until it has the preferred lemon flavor. Follow the instructions in the bullet point above for storing.
How To Pair Mixers With Alcohol
Tonic gives a hint of bitterness to either gin or vodka.Seltzer water adds sparkle to a heavy drink and body to flavored vodkas for a light, low-key sipper.Cola is a classic, and goes equally well with whiskey as it does with rum. Ginger ale and ginger beer go well with bourbon and blended whiskey. If you like it sweet, use ginger alefor more spice, use ginger beer.Lemon-lime soda, though a little sweet, is a good beginners introduction to whiskey drinks and works well in fruity punches.Grapefruit soda mixes perfectly with tequila and a pinch of salt.Orange juice works with gin, vodka and rum freshly-squeezed adds another layer of texture and flavor.Grapefruit juice is better with gin than vodka, as the florals of gin and the sharpness of the juice complement each other nicely and is always a great match with rum and tequila.Lime juice is the prime ingredient in sour mix bottled, sweetened lime juice is perfect with gin.Cranberry juice works well with vodka and orange liqueur it also gives the cosmopolitan its signature red color.
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How To Create The Lemon Twist Garnish
The lemon twist is one of the trickiest citrus garnishes to cut. It’s not difficult, but it does take a little practice.
More About This Recipe
- Getting your drink on this summer has never been easier thanks to this four-ingredient vodka lemonade recipe. Fresh raspberries sweeten the deal and help turn this bar go-to into the prettiest cocktail at the party. For best results, we recommend resisting the temptation to use cheap vodka or prepared lemonade. Fresh raspberries, freshly squeezed lemonade and good vodka are the keys to making this the best vodka lemonade youve ever had. However, this vodka-spiked blue raspberry lemonade is equally as summer-worthy and refreshing. Both recipes can be doubled for a party or modified to one person. If you really want to go all out, try making berry ice cubes, theyre delicious in any kind of vodka cocktail!
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Six Of The Best Vodka Mixers According To Us
Vodka is supposed to be flavorless, says the TTB, the government bureau that regulates alcohol. Some bottles may have grassy undertones and others a sharp bite , but, ultimately, understatement is the name of the game.
And so mixers matter when youre making vodka cocktails. To determine the best juices, sodas, and other dance partners for vodka, we turned to an utterly subjective source: ourselves. We gathered VinePair staff and extended family for a taste test.
Our criteria? All mixers had to be widely available, disqualifying that tasty Concord grape syrup a friend from Maine sometimes brings to Thanksgiving. We prioritized simple, two- or three-ingredient drinks and, for sake of consistency, made every cocktail with one of our preferred affordable vodkas, Prairie Organic.
drop!
Here are six of our favorite vodka mixers, ranked.
Vodka not your favorite spirit? See our mixer picks for gin, rum, tequila, and whiskey.
What Alcohol Mixes Well Together
How to Pair Mixers with Alcohol
- Tonic gives a hint of bitterness to either gin or vodka.
- Seltzer water adds sparkle to a heavy drink and body to flavored vodkas for a light, low-key sipper.
- Cola is a classic, and goes equally well with whiskey as it does with rum.
- Ginger ale and ginger beer go well with bourbon and blended whiskey.
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Quick Tips For Making Vodka Raspberry Lemonade
- If you dont want to take the time to juice lemons and make your own, purchase lemonade from the store. Theres no shame in doing this! Just choose a high-quality lemonade so your drink tastes super fresh.
- If you dont like raspberry, leave out the DeKuyper® Razzmatazz® Liqueur. Thatll make this an original Pinnacle® Lemonade instead!
- Want to make a bigger drink? The Pinnacle® Vodka original recipe recommends 1 part vodka to 2 parts lemonade and ¼ part DeKuyper® Razzmatazz® Liqueur. Do the math and have some fun!
You Can Sip Homemade Lemon Vodka With Soda Water Or Fresh Fruit Juices Or On The Rocks Here’s How To Make It
Together, weve made strawberry vodka. Now, were ready to try lemon vodka! Its even easier than the strawberry versionif you can believe thatand goes with almost all mixers.
Choosing Your Ingredients
As you know, the best ingredients make the best final product. Were using Titos vodka because it makes a mean drink and the freshest lemons available.
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Erins Easy Entertaining Tips
Entertaining with vodka raspberry lemonade is a brilliant idea because its such a refreshing cocktail to serve all summer long, whether youre hosting friends for a casual dinner party or a backyard barbecue.
Here are a few tips and tricks to making this razzmatazz drink while hosting:
- Make the lemonade a day in advance. Keep it cold in the fridge for any summertime sipper mixing. Alternately, you could also purchase pre-made lemonade to make the mixing situation easier.
- Turn it into a vodka lemonade pitcher drink. The size of your pitcher will determine how large of a batch you can make, but a 40 oz. pitcher can hold about 6 servings of the recipe below.
- Kid-Friendly Suggestion: Make a separate pitcher of lemonade for kids and leave it out for them. The adult pitcher should look different and be kept in the fridge
- Set out the garnishes for guests. Slice up lemon rounds , fresh raspberries and a jar holding a bunch of fresh mint. Let guests garnish their drinks however they like!
How To Make Vodka Cocktails:
First youll make some simple syrup. Simple syrup is the sweetener that youll be adding to the cocktail. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the sugar, and then pull it from the heat and let it cool.
The simple syrup is then combined with lemon juice and chopped fresh mint. This mixture is poured into an ice cube tray and put into the freezer to make the ice cubes for the vodka lemonade. If youd rather drink this cocktail on the rocks instead of drinking it as a frozen cocktail, you can skip this step and just prepare the cocktails to serve over ice.
If youre making frozen cocktails, youll blend the ice cubes with vodka and sparkling water.
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Best Cosmo: Stirrings Simple Cosmopolitan
Courtesy of Amazon
In case you havent heard, the Cosmopolitan is coming back into fashion after a long hiatus. But the key to making this blend of vodka, cranberry, lime, and triple sec is using high-quality ingredients. If you dont have everything on hand, this mixer from Stirrings is your best bet to craft a satisfying drink. The ingredients include cane sugar, cranberry juice, and key lime juice, resulting in a well-balanced blend of sweet and sour. This is a great mixer to keep stocked in your home bar.
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Substitutions In Classic Cocktails
Try substituting vegetal, herbal, or fruit flavored vodkas in the following classic cocktails.
- These vodkas work well with the tang of lime and the bite of ginger in a Moscow mule.
- They can add zest to the intense lime flavor of a kamikaze.
- They blend well with the tart cranberry flavor in a sea breeze.
- Add these types of flavored vodkas to Jell-O shots for added interest.
- Spice up a or a daiquiri by replacing the tequila or rum with a flavored vodka.
- Use them as your vodka in a trash can punch, such as jungle juice.
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Why Vodka For Infusing
Any type of liquor can be used for infusing.
Vodka is a very neutral, or flavor-less spirit, making it perfect to absorb the flavors of any ingredient soaking in it.
Ive made more complex infusions such as Homemade Spiced Pear Vodka or simple one-ingredient infusions, such as this lemon vodka, and the results are fantastic every time.
Can You Mix Soda With Vodka
The thing you should know is that you can mix almost everything with soda. You can also mix almost anything with your vodka. So mixing these two is possible and popular also.
So not, let us talk about the mixing of soda and vodka. Like many other vodka drinkers and those who love making vodkas, they are now looking for other flavors. Many people already love those plain vodkas.
They love taking their vodkas in just a glass. However, there are also a lot of consumers who want to try other flavors.
This is why vodka connoisseurs are thinking of ways on how to widen the flavors of their vodka. Soda is plain carbonated water.
Sodas have a lot of flavors. For example, they can offer lemon-lime squeeze, various tonics, ginger lemonade flavor they also offer berry flavors. These flavors are delicious and very refreshing.
This is why mixing it with vodka makes a new world of flavor. Soda is a sound mixer with vodka. However, some people prefer acidic sodas.
It is considered to be the best choice for soda to be mixed with vodka. Some people would also say to add lime to your soda and vodka. It is a good tip, though.
When you are done mixing soda with vodka, you can add a squeeze of lime to it. But, of course, this will still be under your decision.
If you do not want a taste of lime in your vodka and soda, leave the lime squeeze out of the mix. But some people love that refreshing taste of lime to the vodka. So if you want the taste, try squeezing lime into it.
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Lemonade And Iced Tea
You could go with one or the other, or you can shake things up and make a John Daly. Use an ounce or two of vodka and equal parts lemonade and iced tea for a perfect porch sipper. The refreshing nature of the tea, the sweet and citrusy lemonade, the punch of a nice helping of vodka there is little better when its 100 degrees and you have to be outside.
Drinks To Make With Lemon Vodka
Its time to enjoy your concoction! Try a lemon martini, replacing the limoncello with additional lemon vodka. You can also use it in place of plain vodka in such drinks as an Apple Martini, this delightful Spiked Pink Lady or my personal favorite: the Rosemary & Thyme Lemon Cocktail.
Just like with food, the acid in citrus helps balance sweetness and works great with salt . So, play around with your new signature lemon vodka. Trust us, this wont be the last vodka you infuse!
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Vodka Cranberry Drink Recipe
You might think the Vodka Cranberry drink is simply vodka and cranberry juice, especially since thats how some bars serve it. Well, some bars are lazy and shameful.
This drink actually has four ingredients, and the last two are very important to the flavor. That means this drink recipe is actually a little more complicated than its name might lead you to believe.