If you love the combination of sweet and sour, the lemon drop shot will be a favorite. With its sugared rim and perfectly balanced tangy sweet taste, it’s hard to find anyone who will turn down this shot at the bar.

Three glasses of lemon drop shots, garnished with lemon slices on the rims. The glasses have sugared edges and are placed on a white surface, alongside lemon slices and twists. A blurred background with a wooden element is visible.
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The lemon drop shot is one of the first (and honestly, one of the very few) shots I actually enjoyed. I don’t remember when I first tasted it, but after far too many horrible choices in college, when the sugared rim of a lemon drop shot first touched my lips I remember thinking THIS was a shot I can stand behind.

I’m not a candy person (give me chocolate forever and always) and sugary things usually do nothing for me but this strong and sweet flavored shot instantly reminded me of those lemon drop candies that would always be in a dish in my grandmother’s dining room or sometimes make their way into goodie bags from a kids birthday party.

The lemon drop shot is a crowd pleaser. It’s got enough sugar for the people who don’t love sour things while having enough of a pucker factor for those that do. The alcohol is subtle (which arguably could be a good or bad thing) and they’re incredibly easy to throw together with just 3 main ingredients.

If that’s not reason enough to put them on your next party planning menu, they also transform into a lemon drop martini with ease for a more sophisticated take on their classic sweet and sour flavor.

Overhead view of cocktail ingredients: a blue bottle of Skyy vodka, a bottle of simple syrup, a bowl of sugar, a bowl of lemon slices, a bowl of lemon juice, and a bowl of ice on a light surface.

Ingredients in a Lemon Drop Shot

  • Vodka — This is the alcoholic base for the shot. A good quality, middle of the road vodka like Skyy, Tito’s, Smirnoff or Grey Goose will do. You want the shots to be smooth, but there’s no reason to go overboard.
  • Simple syrup — You can make your own or grab a store-bought option. This gives the drink its classic sweetness.
  • Fresh lemon juice — Emphasis on the fresh here because this shot is not the same with the stuff from the squeezable lemon bottle.
  • Sugar — While rimming the shot glass with sugar is optional, it truly makes the drink.
  • Lemon slices — Use these for garnish and cut them into wedges or make fun curls for something more decorative.
  • Ice — There’s no ice in the shot but the shaker should be full of it to get the perfect chill before pouring. The drink is so much better icy cold than room temperature.

How to Make Lemon Drop Shots

If you have the time, chill all the ingredients ahead of prepping the shots.

Start by coating the shot glass rims with sugar. Take a lemon wedge and wet the rim of the shot glass all the way around. Place the sugar in a shallow dish and gently dip and twist the wet part into the sugar to coat the rim.

Fill a cocktail shaker almost to the top with ice then add the vodka, simple syrup and lemon juice. Shake vigorously to combine and chill all the ingredients then strain into the prepared sugar-rimmed shot glasses.

Garnish each shot with a lemon wedge, lemon curl or candied lemon slice. Serve immediately while chilled. If you like to enjoy a chaser, use a lemon wedge to garnish or have some sugared lemon wedges on the side.

Tips and Substitutions

There are a variety of ways to change up this lemon drop shot recipe and have some fun with it. See the notes section of the recipe card below for important tips, but here are some additional ones:

  • Use a flavored vodka like raspberry or citrus to add extra flavor to the shot. There are so many flavor varieties of vodka, you can experiment in a bunch of ways with this alone.
  • Add fresh citrus zest to the sugared rim of the shot glasses.
  • Swap lemon for lime or try half and half. Lime drop shots are super tart and lip-puckering. As someone who loves tart and sour flavors, I often do half lemon juice, half lime juice.
  • A small splash of orange liqueur like Cointreau is a delicious addition.
  • Like spice? Try adding a few slices of jalapeño to the cocktail shaker. The heat goes great with the lemon flavor.
  • Add herbs! A touch of herbaceous flavor is a great pairing with lemon. Try basil and mint for something unique and a bit more elegant.
Three lemon drop cocktails in shot glasses, garnished with lemon slices, sit on a white surface. A blue vodka bottle and a bowl of yellow candies are in the background. Lemon wedges are scattered around, along with a yellow striped towel.

How to Make These For a Crowd

Besides its ubiquitous appeal in flavor, the lemon drop is also great for a crowd because it can easily be made in advance. Make a big batch of the shot and keep it stored in the fridge. Assemble your sugared shot glasses ahead of time and then when ready to serve, pour the shots and enjoy!

How to Make It a Mocktail

If alcohol isn’t for you, the lemon drop turns into a refreshing mocktail by simply omitting the vodka and using seltzer or soda water in its place. If you want a tall drink (12-16 ounce glass), I suggest using a combination of seltzer/sparkling water and lemonade. Adjust the amount of lemonade based on how sweet you like it.

A salt-rimmed glass with a lemon wedge garnish contains a lemon drop shot. Curled lemon peels and sliced lemons are scattered around on the white surface. A wooden board, golden jigger, and cloth are visible in the background.

How to Turn a Lemon Drop Shot Into a Martini

Depending on your martini glass size, you may need to adjust the measurements of each ingredient. For example, if you have a 5-6 ounce martini glass, try doubling each ingredient in this recipe.

Chill your martini glass ahead of time and prepare the ingredients in the same way as directed for the shot. Pour into a sugar rimmed martini glass and enjoy!

A glass of lemon drop shot cocktail with a sugared rim and lemon wedge garnish sits on a white surface. Nearby are lemon slices and peels, a yellow-striped cloth, and a wooden board with more lemon slices.

More Fun Shot Recipes To Try

The green tea shot and its sister, the white tea shot are two other simple and satisfying drinks everyone seems to love. The white tea shot is similar to a lemon drop, just swapping out peach Schnapps for the lemon flavor.

If you want something really fun, you can’t go wrong with the Scooby snack shot. Garnished with a dog bone cracker and modeled off the classic TV cartoon, its electric yellow-green color and lively tropical flavor is a definite conversation starter.

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Lemon Drop Shot

Servings: 3 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
A salt-rimmed glass with a lemon wedge garnish contains a lemon drop shot. Curled lemon peels and sliced lemons are scattered around on the white surface. A wooden board, golden jigger, and cloth are visible in the background.
This lemon drop shot recipe is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy with a sugared rim for extra flair. Easy to make with vodka, fresh lemon and simple syrup, it’s a must-have for parties or nights in.

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ oz vodka, plain or citrus-flavored
  • ½ oz simple syrup
  • ½ oz fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
  • lemon wedge for rimming and garnish
  • ice
  • sugar for rimming the glasses, optional

Instructions 

  • Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of each shot glass.
  • Dip the rims into sugar, coating them evenly. Set the glasses aside.
  • In a cocktail shaker, combine the ice, vodka, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.
  • Strain the mixture into the prepared shot glasses.
  • Garnish each shot with a small lemon wedge or a twist of lemon peel.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Adjust the sweetness by adding more or less simple syrup to taste.
  • For more tartness, use 1 ounce lemon juice and ½ ounce simple syrup.
  • For a perfect rim, be sure not to drag the rim in the sugar. This may cause clumps and an uneven sugar rim. Gently dip the wet rim in the sugar evenly for best results.
  • For some variations, try using other fruit flavors of juice or syrup instead of lemon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 46kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 0.02gFat: 0.01gSaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 8mgFiber: 0.01gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 0.3IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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