This Limoncello Martini (aka Limoncello Lemon Drop Martini) is sweet, tangy, and so delicious! It's also very easy to make.
I had a jar of Homemade Sous Vide Limoncello sitting in my fridge, and was trying to think of a new way to use it. I ended up deciding to riff a bit on the Lemon Drop (or Lemon Drop Martini), which contains vodka, triple sec, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a sugar rim.
You can think of the two drinks as cousins, of sorts. This version is sweet, but not too sweet, and essentially tastes like adult lemonade.
Jump to:
What is a Limoncello Martini?
A martini is traditionally made with gin/vodka and vermouth. But plenty of creative variations have cropped up since the drink's inception. Basically, this version is a martini that's made with limoncello (and vodka).
Ingredients
Just a few. Let's talk about them for a sec:
- Limoncello: Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur. It's sweet, citrusy (duh), and so refreshing. You can use either store bought or homemade Limoncello here.
- Vodka: Just plain vodka. Use whatever brand you prefer.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed, please.
- Lemon wheel: This isn't mandatory, but I think that floating a lemon wheel in this martini is really nice and looks pretty.
How do you make this martini?
Pour all of your liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake shake shake. Make sure that you shake it until it is very cold.
Strain the drink into a coupe glass (or a martini glass, if that's more your style) and float a lemon wheel in the glass. Et voila: pretty and pretty delicious.
Recommended tools
- A jigger, to measure your liquid ingredients
- A cocktail shaker
- Some pretty coupe or martini glasses
Other drinks made with limoncello
First, consider drinking your Limoncello straight! In Italy, Limoncello is commonly drunk out of a shot glass or cordial glass before dinner as an apertif or after dinner as a digetif. If you go this route, serve it very cold (but not over ice) and sip it rather than taking it as a shot.
However, if you're looking for cocktails, check out the links below!
- Limoncello Mojito Cocktail from Inside the Rustic Kitchen
- Limoncello Spritz from A Nerd Cooks
- Limoncello Moscow Mule from Home Sweet Table
- Limoncello Gin Collins from A Nerd Cooks
- Strawberry-Basil Limoncello Martini from Burrata and Bubbles
FAQs/Tips and tricks
Nope, you can use store bought if you'd prefer.
Sure can. Just scale the amounts of each ingredient up proportionally.
Yes. Whether you're making an individual drink or a big batch of martinis, you can store your drink in the fridge or freezer (extra frosty!) up to a day ahead of time.
Share your creations and follow me on social media!
Subscribe to the A Nerd Cooks Newsletter to have updates sent straight to your inbox.
I love seeing when you share my recipes! Please tag me on Instagram @anerdcooks so I can enjoy them virtually with you! You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
I'd love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below!
The Recipe
✨ Recipe
Limoncello Martini
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz limoncello
- 1.5 oz vodka
- 1 oz lemon juice freshly squeezed
- lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Add the limoncello, vodka, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Shake until very cold. Strain into a coupe or martini glass.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Pin this recipe for later!
Sally
These are AMAZING. So simple but so good. Perfectly balanced. I will be drinking these throughout the Australian summer ☀️
Sylvia Blossom
I add a teaspoon of limoncello to a gin & tonic with lemon zest as a garnish. It’s not super sweet but adds a great twist to the drink.
laurenpacek
Sounds like a lovely addition to me!