A friend and I have a little tradition. Every so often we meet up at Cheesecake Factory and order the raspberry lemon drop martini to toast each other. Birthdays, holidays, random Tuesdays, it doesn't seem to matter. The drink seems to fit every occasion.
Eventually I decided to make a copycat version at home, and it was harder than I expected. My first several attempts used fresh raspberries(muddled), and I could never get a consistent result from batch to batch. Some were too tart, some barely tasted like raspberry at all. Once I gave up on fresh fruit and made my own raspberry simple syrup instead, the whole thing got easy. Now it's the same delicious drink every single time.
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Ingredients needed for Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini
- Raspberry vodka
- Orange liqueur
- Lemon juice
- Raspberry syrup
- Lemon-lime soda
I don't specify exact brands in the recipe card below because I've tried several combinations and they all work. For what it's worth, Absolut makes a raspberry vodka I like, and I usually reach for Cointreau or Patron for the orange liqueur.
How to Make a Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini
This one comes together in under five minutes, which is part of why it's become a regular drink for treating myself. The only prep required is to make the raspberry syrup (you can do this a day ahead if preferred) and then squeeze some fresh lemon juice.
Add the raspberry vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and raspberry syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels cold, then strain into a chilled glass. The first time you make this, you might want to hold off on the soda, then top with it to fill the glass. I have found that 2 oz is just perfect for most of my glasses, so I tend to add it to the mix before pouring.
The raspberry syrup is really what makes this drink work. It's what took my early attempts from inconsistent to reliable, and it's worth making a batch ahead of time so it's ready whenever the occasion calls for a toast.
Serving suggestions, variations, and storage
I like to serve this in a chilled coupe or martini glass, with a lemon twist or a couple of frozen raspberries dropped in for garnish. I also sometimes add sugar to the rim. To do this, wet the edge of the rim with water or syrup (I use agave) and then dip in sugar. It gives the drink a little "extra", presentation-wise.
If you want more fizz, add a splash more lemon-lime soda. If you'd rather skip the soda entirely, you can serve it straight up after shaking, more like a true martini and less like a spritz.
The cocktail itself is meant to be made and enjoyed right away, so there's nothing to store there. The raspberry syrup is the exception. It keeps well in the refrigerator, so check my raspberry simple syrup post for storage details and make a jar ahead of your next toast-worthy occasion.
📖 Recipe
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Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini
Ingredients
- 1 oz raspberry vodka
- 1 oz orange liqueur
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 2 oz raspberry simple syrup
- 2 oz lemon-lime soda
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled glass and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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