Lemon Drop Shot – A Beautiful Mess

The Lemon Drop Shot was the first shot recipe I ever learned to make. This recipe is a close cousin to the classic Lemon Drop Martini. It’s a lot of fun and great to serve at a party. There’s something undeniably perfect about the combination of sweet and sour. This recipe is so fresh and delicious. It tastes just like lemon drop candies.

More shot recipes: Green Tea Shot, Mexican Candy Shot, Scooby Snack Shot, Jägerbomb Shot, Vodka Jello Shot, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shot, Washington Apple Shot, White Tea Shot, Gummy Bear Shot, Kamikaze Shot.

Ingredients in a Lemon Drop Shot

• Vodka – The base spirit for this shot is vodka. We recommend a quality, mid-priced vodka like Tito’s, Grey Goose or Smirnoff.
• Lemon Juice – Fresh squeezed!
• Simple Syrup – For sweetness. You can easily make your own bath using our Simple Syrup recipe.
• Sugar – You will also need granulated sugar for rimming your glass and sugaring your lemons.
• Lemons – Cut into wedges to use as a garnish.

Here’s a link to the shot glasses I used. I also love this cocktail shaker.

How to Make a Lemon Drop Shot

1. Chill Your Ingredients: Begin by chilling your vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. Chilling these ingredients in advance ensures your shot will be refreshingly cold.
2. Prepare the Glass: Take a chilled shot glass and rim it with sugar. To do this, dip the rim of the glass in water or lemon juice and then into a small plate of sugar. Gently twist the glass to ensure an even sugar coating.
3. Mix the Cocktail: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup.
4. Shake Vigorously: Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. This chilling process also helps to dilute the mixture slightly, balancing the flavors.
5. Strain and Serve: Carefully strain the mixture from the shaker into your prepared sugar-rimmed shot glass.
6. Serve with a sugared lemon wedge. Part of the experience of this shot is chasing the shot with a bite into the sugared lemon wedge. It’s delicious and the best part of the experience, so don’t skip it!

Tips for Making

• Try flavored vodkas (such as raspberry vodka) if you want to change up your flavor profile a bit. Try swapping in various flavored vodkas or even try a citrus vodka (such as Absolut Citron) for a more intense experience.
• Infuse your sugar with grated lemon zest for a greater sensory experience (our sense of smell is very connected to our sense of taste). You can prep the shot glass with a sugared rim or dip your lemon slice in sugar to use as a chaser.
• We recommend sticking with fresh lemon juice and skipping bottled lemon juice for the best flavor. The lemony goodness from fresh lemon juice really comes through with such a short ingredient list. 
• Try half lemon, half lime juice for a fun variation.

History of the Lemon Drop Shot

The Lemon Drop Shot’s history is closely tied to the Lemon Drop Martini, a classic cocktail that emerged during the 1970s. The Lemon Drop Martini, known for its vibrant blend of vodka, lemon juice, and sugar, served as the inspiration for the shot recipe.

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