Lemon Drop

COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 60 ml Vodka
- 15 ml Triple Sec
- 30 ml Simple Demerara Syrup
- 30 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- Two Dashes of Home-made Citrus Bitters

GARNISH:
- Sugar Rim
- Dehydrated Lemon Wheel

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Run a cut lemon around the rim of the cocktail glass to moisten it.
• Line the rim with sugar and set the glass to cool in the freezer.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
• Add ice and shake until chilled.
• Double strain into a prepared chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish with dehydrated lemon wheel.

Cocktail author: Norman Jay Hobday.

Lemon Drop is a simple and delicious cocktail, going back to the vodka based cocktail days of the 70s and 80s. It might have a notorious reputation in some circles, especially if served as a shot. However, presenting this drink in a form of cocktail is where its simplicity can truly shine.

Naturally, base spirit of the cocktail is vodka, forming a crispy clean base. Triple sec brings some sweet, mildly bitter orange notes pairing perfectly with the healthy dose of lemon juice. Here is were my take on this cocktail takes a slightly different turn. Instead of ordinary simple syrup I used a simple demerara syrup, not only balancing out the lemon juice, but also introducing toffee and caramel notes adding another layer to the drink. As the last touch, to coax out those mildly bitter notes of triple sec I have added a couple of dashes of home-made citrus bitters. For me, bitters add so much more complexity and tame the sweetness, making this cocktail much more sophisticated.

(If you do not want to spend time making home-made bitters a couple of dashes of store-bought orange bitters, should also help achieve a similar result.)

Source material:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/lemon-drop/