Lemon Drop Shots (3 Ingredients)

This super simple and fun lemon drop shot recipe is perfect for a party or a night out. Not only are they tasty, but these lemon drop shooters are super simple and pretty inexpensive since they use vodka.

In just 5 minutes, you can have a perfectly balanced sweet and tart shot!

Don't forget to check out this lemon drop martini cocktail for an upscale version of these same flavors. You can think of it almost as a lemon drop drink.

• How to make a smooth and easy-to-drink shot that everyone will love.
• An easy, homemade simple syrup recipe.
• The importance of shaking drinks that use lemon juice.

If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to check out 50 more delicious shot recipes to learn about many more varieties of shots.

According to the Oxford Companion To Spirits & Cocktails, the lemon drop cocktail was first created in the 1970s by Norman Hobday. The upscale cocktail was known for the use of premium spirits and freshly squeezed juice. 

This cocktail very quickly became a staple at the legendary bar, Harry Denton’s Starlight Room. Later on, this cocktail was developed into a lemon drop shot. 

Vodka: This recipe just requires a generic, unflavored vodka. Any brand will do for this recipe (Tito's, Absolut, or Grey Goose). I would not suggest using citrus vodka as it makes the shot too tart. Learn more about this spirit in my beginner's vodka guide. 

Freshly squeezed lemon juice: As you may have guessed, all the flavor in this shot comes from the lemon juice. Use fresh lemons for the juice so the shots taste super fresh. However, bottled lemon juice will also work in a pinch.

Simple syrup: This ingredient is necessary to balance out the tartness of the lemon. You can purchase simple syrup, or make your own.

To make your own simple syrup, use a one-to-one ratio of granulated sugar to water. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until all the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Now you have your syrup!

Be sure to allow the syrup to come down to room temperature or colder before using. This will ensure that your lemon drop shooters are nice and cold.

Granulated sugar/lemon wedge: These ingredients are completely optional but provide the perfect, easy way to spice up the shot glasses with a sugar rim.

Check out the recipe card below for the full details on the ingredient quantities.

1. First, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to a shallow plate. Use a lemon wedge to wet the rim of each of the four shot glasses.

2. Once coated with a thin layer of lemon juice, dip the rim of the glass into the sugar, turning the glass as you go to get a nice even coating.

One tip to level up your cocktail game: Never get sugar on the inside of the rim of your shot glass, just the outside.

When sugar is on the inside of the rim, there's a chance that it could slide into the drink and mess up the consistency or flavor.

Plus, the act of rimming just the outside of the glass is classier and more professional - a great way to show off to your guests!

3. To shake up your shots, combine vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled partway with ice. Shake vigorously until everything is nice and chilled.

When making cocktails or other alcoholic drinks that use sugar, egg whites, cream, or, as in this case, citrus, it is essential to shake the drink.

Shaking these ingredients helps develop a lighter, frothy, consistency in your drink. Moreover, when it comes to citrus, shaking helps bring out the aromatics in the citrus, giving your drink a more intense flavor.

4. Lastly, pour the mixture into four, 2-ounce shot glasses.

This recipe is great because it yields 4 shots, making it perfect for any number of events, from large parties to small dinner parties and everything in between.

Finally, you can take the same lemon slices used to help rim the glass and use it as a garnish, just like they are displayed in the picture.

If you want, the lemon wedge used for this part could also be used as a chaser for these lemon drop shots. You likely won’t need this though because these shots are incredibly smooth.