LEMON DROP
The Lemon Drop: A Sweet-Tart 1970s Creation
The Lemon Drop cocktail was created in the 1970s by Norman Jay Hobday, founder of Henry Africa's bar in San Francisco. Hobday developed the drink as a vodka-based cocktail inspired by the popular lemon drop candy, creating a sweet-tart combination that appealed to mainstream tastes, according to Liquor.com.
The original version was served as a shot with a sugar-coated lemon wedge, but the drink evolved into a martini-style cocktail during the 1980s and 1990s. The modern Lemon Drop combines vodka with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and sometimes triple sec, served in a sugar-rimmed martini glass, as noted in Difford's Guide.
The Lemon Drop gained massive popularity during the 1990s vodka martini craze, becoming one of the era's most recognizable cocktails alongside the Cosmopolitan and Appletini. The drink's candy-like sweetness and approachable flavor profile made it particularly popular with casual drinkers, according to Punch.
The Lemon Drop experienced a decline during the craft cocktail movement as bartenders moved away from overly sweet drinks, but it remains a popular choice in mainstream bars. The cocktail's balance of sweet and tart, when properly made with fresh ingredients, can create a well-executed citrus vodka drink.
RECIPE:
2 oz vodka (citrus vodka optional)
1 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz triple sec (optional)
Sugar for rim
Lemon twist for garnish
Method:
Rim a martini glass with sugar using a lemon wedge.
Add vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and triple sec (if using) to a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously until well-chilled.
Strain into martini glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.