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    Home » Recipes » Cocktail Recipes

    Easy Lavender Lemon Drop Martini with Vodka

    Published: Apr 5, 2022 · Updated: Sep 11, 2023 by Katy McAvoy

    I love when you share my recipes!

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·★★★★★5 from 1 review

    Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

    This 5 ingredient Lavender Lemon Drop Martini is a perfectly refreshing, summery cocktail. A grown up version of lavender lemonade, this flavorful drink will keep you cool on the hottest summer day. 

    Lavender Lemon Drop Martinis
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients 
    • How to Make a Lavender Lemon Drop Martini
    • Recipe Tips 
    • Making Lavender Syrup
    • How to Make Your Lavender Cocktails Purple
    • What to Serve with a Lavender Lemon Drop Cocktail
    • FAQs and Substitutions 
    • Looking for more Sweet Tart Cocktails?
    • More Delicious Cocktail Recipes You’ll Love 
    • Print The Recipe Card
    • Lavender Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

    Like the Cosmopolitan, Lemon Drop Martinis arrived on the bar scene in the 1970s, making them a modern classic cocktail. And yet unlike the Cosmo, you rarely see Lemon Drops on a bar menu.  Let’s make a lavender version of this classic cocktail using lavender simple syrup to upgrade it and change that! 

    Lavender and lemon are a perfect pairing, so we’re adding lavender bitters to the classic recipe and trading out the regular simple syrup for lavender syrup in this delicious cocktail.

    This elevates a simple lemon cocktail to one worthy of a special occasion like Mother’s Day brunch or a bridal shower.

    Because lavender is used in all kinds of ways, lavender drinks can sometimes come off tasting a bit like soap. Which is definitely not the delicious cocktail you were wanting!

    Combining lavender with lemon keeps this from happening since lemon is an equally strong flavor, is an ingredient we’re used to seeing in cocktails, and isn’t as readily used in bath products.  

    Ingredients 

    Ingredients for Lavender Lemon Drop martinis - vodka, lemon, lavender bitters, lavender syrup, orange liqueur.
    • Vodka - Choose your favorite plain vodka for this recipe.
    • Lavender syrup - You can buy lavender simple syrup, or your can make yourself it in minutes! Get all of the instructions on my lavender syrup recipe page.
    • Orange liqueur - Cointreau is my orange liqueur of choice for this cocktail, but triple sec will work if that's what you have on hand.
    • Lavender bitters - I love what bitters add to cocktails, and this one benefits a lot from some lavender bitters.
    • A lemon - Fresh citrus ONLY for your cocktail. Skip the bottle and squeeze half a lemon per drink for this recipe.
    • Sugar - Granulated white sugar or white decorating sugar are both great options for garnishing the rim of your glass.

    How to Make a Lavender Lemon Drop Martini

    Pour sugar into a shallow dish. Run a slice of lemon around the top of a martini glass. Dip the rim of the glass into the sugar. Set aside. 

    Combine vodka, lavender syrup, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and lavender bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

    Pouring lavender syrup into a cocktail shaker.
    Lavender Syrup (made blue with butterfly pea flower)
    Pouring lemon juice into a cocktail shaker.
    Fresh lemon juice

    Shake well and strain into your prepared glass. 

    A lavender lemon drop martini being poured into a sugar-rimmed glass.

    Garnish with a lemon wheel or curl of lemon peel.

    Enjoy!  

    Recipe Tips 

    • Make your lavender syrup ahead of time so it has time to chill in the refrigerator before you make your cocktails. Use any kind of martini glass or coupe glass for serving this cocktail. 
    • Go big on the garnish with lemon slices, fresh herbs like mint, fresh lavender sprigs, or a little bit of dried culinary lavender buds. 

    Making Lavender Syrup

    It only takes a few steps and a little time to make your own Lavender Simple Syrup. >Get the Recipe

    Lavender Simple Syrup in a glass bottle.
    Lavender Simple Syrup

    How to Make Your Lavender Cocktails Purple

    As you can see in the picture above, dried lavender doesn’t turn the lavender syrup purple when you make it. It’s naturally a pale yellow color. 

    In order to have a purple cocktail like the one in the other photos on this page, you have to use butterfly pea flowers to turn the lavender syrup blue. Then use the blue syrup in this drink, which when combined with the lemon juice, will turn violet. 

    Find the full instructions for how to make and color your syrup over on my lavender syrup page. 

    Stirring lemon juice into lavender syrup with butterfly pea flower.
    Blue syrup + Yellow lemon juice = Purple drinks!

    What to Serve with a Lavender Lemon Drop Cocktail

    This sweet but tart cocktail needs a salty happy hour snack to go with it. I love my Bacon Wrapped Dates and/or BBQ Oyster Crackers with this Lavender Lemon Drop. These Charcuterie Cups are a super fun idea to serve with these when entertaining.

    A plate of bacon wrapped dates.
    Bacon Wrapped Dates
    BBQ Oyster crackers in a bowl
    BBQ Oyster Crackers

    FAQs and Substitutions 

    Are Lemon Drop Cocktails Sour? 

    They shouldn’t be sour. While this cocktail is definitely more tart than sweet, the lemon juice is balanced nicely with the sweet lavender syrup and orange liqueur. 

    Where do you find Lavender Syrup? 

    You make it! Check out my instructions for making your own lavender syrup. Don’t want to make it? Look for pre-made lavender syrup - sometimes called lavender cordial - at your favorite specialty food and/or beverage store. 

    Do I have to use fresh lemon juice?

    Yes. There’s only 5 ingredients in this cocktail, so fresh juice is important. Plan on about 1 lemon per cocktail. You will get aprox 1.5 oz of juice from each lemon, depending on their size. 

    What kind of orange liqueur should I use? 

    Any brand of triple sec or orange liqueur works in this cocktail. I like Cointreau or Grand Marnier, but feel free to use whatever brand you have on hand. 

    What kind of vodka should I use?

    I like a plain vodka in this drink. My choice is a Michigan brand like Lake Life Vodka, Avani Vodka, or Long Road Vodka. You could also use a citrus vodka, like Absolut Citron, if that's what you have on hand.

    Looking for more Sweet Tart Cocktails?

    If you love that sweet but tart combination of a lemon drop martini, shake up a Lavender Bee's Knees with honey or a Strawberry Lemon Drop with fresh strawberry syrup.

    Lavender Bee's Knees
    Lavender Bee's Knees
    A pair of strawberry lemon drop martinis.
    Strawberry Lemon Drop

    More Delicious Cocktail Recipes You’ll Love 

    • Strawberry Pineapple Martini with Vanilla Vodka (Video)
    • Pumpkin Ginger Martini (without Cinnamon) - Video
    • Light and Fizzy Bourbon Ginger Cocktail (Video)
    • Easy and Refreshing Blackberry Vanilla Vodka Martini
    • Pumpkin Pie Martini (without Cream) - Video

    Print The Recipe Card

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    Lavender Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

    Lavender Lemon Drop Martini
    Print Recipe
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    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 review

    This 5 ingredient Lavender Lemon Drop Martini is a perfectly refreshing, summery cocktail. A grown up version of lavender lemonade, this drink will keep you cool on the hottest summer day. 

    • Author: Katy McAvoy
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 0 min
    • Total Time: 5 min
    • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
    • Category: Cocktails
    • Method: Cocktail Shaker
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 2 oz vodka
    • 1 oz lavender syrup
    • 1 oz fresh lemon juice
    • 0.25 oz orange liqueur
    • 2 dashes lavender bitters
    • Sugar for rim

    Instructions

    Pour sugar into a shallow dish. Run a slice of lemon around the top of a martini glass. Dip the rim of the glass into the sugar. Set aside. 

    Combine vodka, lavender syrup, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and lavender bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

    Shake well and strain into your prepared glass. 

    Enjoy!  

    Equipment

    Image of Cocktail Shaker

    Cocktail Shaker

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    Image of Jigger

    Jigger

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    Image of Lavender Bitters

    Lavender Bitters

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    Image of Martini Glass

    Martini Glass

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    Image of Dried Lavender

    Dried Lavender

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    Notes

    Get the recipe for Lavender Simple Syrup at mittengirl.com/3-ingredient-lavender-simple-syrup-recipe/

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cocktail
    • Calories: 219
    • Sugar: 17.4 g
    • Sodium: 1.4 mg
    • Fat: 0.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 19.3 g
    • Fiber: 0.1 g
    • Protein: 0.1 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: lavender drinks, lavender cocktails, vodka cocktails, lemon martini, lavender martini

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @katymcavoy on Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you made!

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    I love when you share my recipes!

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    About Katy McAvoy

    Katy is the author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, and Michigander behind MittenGirl.com. Since 2017, she's been crafting easy-to-make cocktails and delicious meals, along with sharing her love of all things Michigan (a.k.a. The Mitten)!

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    1. Laura

      January 30, 2023 at 3:58 pm

      Hey Katy, can you make this in a large batch for events?

      Reply
      • Katy McAvoy

        January 30, 2023 at 7:43 pm

        Hi Laura! To make a pitcher (about 6 drinks), combine 1 1/2 cups vodka, 3/4 cup lavender simple syrup, 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1.75 oz orange liqueur, 12 dashes of lavender bitters, and 1/3 cup cold water. The water will compensate for shaking the cocktail with ice. Feel free to double or triple these amounts if you need more. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Sylvia Flores

      July 02, 2023 at 11:56 am

      Delish!! That first sip has you in a beautiful garden of lavender. Heavenly… easy to make & So refreshing! It was the signature drink for “Our Ladies Night Gathering”.💃🏻

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Katy McAvoy

        July 05, 2023 at 4:47 pm

        So glad you love it! It's the perfect ladies night drink. 🙂

        Reply

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    Katy McAvoy

    Hi! I’m Katy (she/her). I’m an author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, Michigander, and lover of all things food and drink. I never turn down a good happy hour and believe that a couple hours of meal prep pays off for days. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

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