• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
West Coast Kitchen Garden
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipe » Drinks » Lavender Lemon Drop Martini With Cocktail Sugar Rim

    Lavender Lemon Drop Martini With Cocktail Sugar Rim

    Published: Jun 22, 2022 by Sabrina Currie · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    You all know I love lavender and use it often and after tasting a lavender lemon drop martini while out one night, I knew I had to make it. My version is easy, delicious, sweet, tart and strong. AND it has a homemade lavender lemon cocktail sugar rim to give it extra amazing flavor. Try it and I promise you'll thank me later!

    Three martini glasses with lavender sugar rims and pale yellow cocktails poured in them. There is a lemon and cut lemons and ice cubs around on the pale countertop.

    I love how versatile this cocktail is. A lavender lemon drop looks elegant enough for the fanciest of evenings and has flavors that everyone loves. It is perfect for a bridal shower, wedding cocktail, New Years eve or just a girls night out (or in).

    This was inspired by the popularity of my Lavender French 75 and the fresh and fabulous Homemade Margaritas. (For a delish non-alcoholic lavender drink, try Traditional Lavender Milk Tea, a hug in a mug). I love serving these with little nibbles and appetizers like Warm Marinated Olives, Salmon Crudo, and Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Dip with sea salt kettle chips. Yum, right?!

    Lavender has a wonderful herbal quality the helps it not taste overly floral. In fact it works deliciously in both sweet and savory recipes. (I recently made this Lavender Earl Grey Cake with Easy Lavender Buttercream Frosting for a sweet celebration.)

    Tall pinterest graphic with lavender tea cake in background with wedge served on a plate in foreground. The cake is golden colored with a white icing. There are dried lavender buds scattered around.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Barware Kitchen Hacks
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Get My Free Book
    • 10 Herbs 10Ways
    • 💬 Community

    Ingredients

    This tart vodka based lavender drink recipe is quick and easy with just a few ingredients and a cocktail shaker. Additionally, lavender lemon drop martinis can be made even faster by mixing ahead of time and storing in the fridge until ready to pour and serve.

    Overhead picture of ingredients and equipment for the lavender lemon cocktail, including a silver cocktail shaker, bottle of lavender syrup, bundle of fresh lavender flowers, 3 lemons, a shot measure, cointreau bottle and bottle of vodka with text overlay labelling it all.
    • Lavender syrup - Although I've shown a bottle of premade lavender syrup, I recommend making your own whenever possible. It is infinitely better tasting, far less expensive and really easy. Find my lavender simple syrup recipe here, (it's just lavender with equal parts sugar and water).
    • Lemon juice and zest - I'm a huge fan of fresh squeezed lemon juice. You can use bottled lemon juice but...in a cocktail with so few ingredients, spend the $1.29 and buy a real lemon. If you've bought real lemon, zest it first for the lavender lemon cocktail rim before squeezing fresh lemon juice for the martini. Additionally, since we are using the zest of the lemon (the outer skin), using organic lemons is a good idea.
    • Vodka - Your favorite, neutral flavored vodka is perfect but...if you want to amp up the lemon, the wonderful essence of a lemon flavored vodka is really tasty too.
    • Good ice - This drink is served chilled straight up but having large, solid ice cubes for shaking makes a crisp drink that doesn't get too watered down.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Make the lemon lavender sugar and rim each martini or coupe glass with it before you mix up the lavender lemon drop martini cocktails so they stay as cold and fresh as can be.

    Bowl of lavender, lemon zest and cup of sugar in front of food processor ready to make lavender lemon sugar for cocktail rims.

    Zest lemon and pick buds off lavender sprigs if using fresh, then place all three ingredients in a food processor or blender.

    Food processor bowl is ⅓ full of the ground sugar, lavender and lemon. There are lemons behind it.

    Blitz for 20-30 seconds until lemon, lavender and sugar is well blended together.

    A martini glass is rim upside down on a plate full of lavender lemon sugar.

    To achieve a cocktail rim, place lavender lemon cocktail sugar on a plate that is just a little wider than the rims on your glasses.
    Cut a wedge of lemon, then make a cut in the middle of the flesh crosswise through to the skin with out cutting it in half.
    Run the cut middle around the rim of each martini glass (that will make the sugar mixture stick), then press the rim into a plate full of lavender lemon sugar to coat.

    A lemon being juiced on a glass citrus press beside silver cocktail shaker, empty sugared rim martini glasses and scattered ice cubes.

    Juice your lemon and measure the ingredients. Fill a cocktail shaker ¾ full with large ice.

    Cocktail shaker has a glass over it, ready to shake and is frosty from the ice and ingredients inside.

    Add lemon juice, lavender simple syrup, orange liqueur and vodka. Cover top of shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

    Yellow martini being poured from above into a sugar rimmed martini glass.

    Strain into prepared martini glasses or coupes.

    Three pale yellow colored lavender lemon drop martini's garnished with a wheel of lemon each.

    Have fun garnishing your drinks! A lemon wheel is classic.

    Three pale yellow lavender lemon martinis each garnished with a sprig of lavender.

    And a sprig of lavender is both romantic and fragrant. Serve right away and enjoy!

    Hint: Spread lavender lemon sugar rimmer on a plate to use right away or let it dry on a tray for a couple hours before storing in an airtight container until ready to use.

    Substitutions

    Limoncello makes a great lavender lemon martini too. Swap out the lemon juice and vodka for limoncello and add the lavender simple syrup. Give it a good shake with lots of ice in a cocktail shaker and pour your lavender limoncello martini into prepared glasses. This version will end up a little sweeter so keep that in mind if you are deciding whether to use this or not.

    Raspberry or Blackberry Lemon Drop Martini. Simply swap out the lavender simple syrup for any other fruity flavored simple syrup for your own variation of a lemon drop martini!

    Variations

    While there aren't many substitutions you can make in cocktail so simple, there are some fun variations!

    • Lavender Lemon Shooter - Despite the sweet and delicious flavors, this drink packs a punch. If you want to make fun shooters for a party, this recipe is awesome and has about 20%+ abv. Simply line up the shot glasses and pour your high proof cocktail in! For extra wow factor, dip citrus juiced edges of shooter glasses in the lavender lemon sugar before pouring and serving.
    • Lavender Lemon Gin And Tonic - Swap vodka for gin when mixing the lemon drops. Fill tall glasses with ice. Add half lavender lemon drop cocktail mix and half tonic. Garnish with a wedge of lemon and enjoy on a hot day.
    • Lavender Lemon Mocktail - For the designated drivers, kids and anyone who doesn't want the alcohol, simply mix the lavender syrup and lemon juice together and mix with soda water. Don't forget the garnishes of lemon wheels and lavender sprigs to keep the mocktails extra special!
    Tall photo of lemon drop martini with lavender sugar rim and lemon wheel.

    Equipment

    A plain old citrus juicer, a shot sized measure and a cocktail shaker are ideal for this recipe. Of course you can make do with household items if needed but I think investing in a few key pieces of barware goes a long way to enjoying mixing up cocktails for family and friends.

    These items are not very expensive and can be found in most kitchen shops and retail stores. In my own shop, I carry some beautiful hammered silver barware along with gold and silver Japanese bar spoons, bottle openers and more. Haunting thrift shops to find vintage pieces is fun too!

    Barware Kitchen Hacks

    If you don't have the gear, you can still have a fantastic cocktail, you just might not look quite as cool making it 😉

    1. Using a fork agitated into a halved lemon will juice it just fine if you don't have a juicer or press.
    2. A measuring cup that measures ounces will work instead of a cocktail jigger.
    3. Mason jars are magic. A wide mouth mason jar or blender bottle works great in place of a cocktail shaker.

    Storage

    Any leftover lemon lavender cocktail can be stored in a covered glass, bottle or other container and refrigerated for up to a week. When ready to serve, simply shake it up again over ice and strain into your glass.

    I don't recommend freezing this. The fresh hint of lavender and bright citrus will fade as this sits. Fresh is best.

    The lavender lemon sugar rimmer can be made far ahead. If you make this to ahead, be sure to dry it out well on a tray before storing in an airtight container at room temperature. If it does harden in to a lump when you need to use it, simply bang it with the back of a mug or pop it back in the food processor to granulate the sugar again.

    Three pale yellow lavender drinks in martini glasses with a lemon wheel on each.

    Top tip

    I've said it before and I'll say it again, a cold cocktail is a good cocktail. Freeze your ice in large cube trays. Large cubes stay colder longer with less ice melt. Prechill those glasses and you can even keep your ingredients chilled. Vodka and orange liqueur in the freezer, simple syrup and lemon in the fridge. And a bonus tip, make your own lavender simple syrup, it is indescribably better than store bought.

    For more on what I'm cooking up, follow me on Instagram or Facebook. You might also like my FREE printable weekly meal planner.

    Cheers friends! Sabrina

    Cheers to you all! I'd love you to hit that star rating if you try this, to let me know how much you like it and even more, tag me on Instagram if you make it and post it!!!

    ox Sabrina

    Related Recipes

    • A mojito garnished with lime and mint in a tall glass and a margarita with a simple wheel of lime on the rim in a stemmed glass with limes in front and a pink fading to yellow background. Headline is Mojito vs Margarita.
      What's the Difference between a Mojito vs Margarita
    • Three margaritas in coupe glasses with salted rims on a rustic wooden table with black wall behind and some greenery around.
      Easy Maple Whiskey Margarita Cocktail
    • Two glasses full of bright purple fruit smoothie mixture garnished with skewers of banana, strawberry and blackberry. There are a few mint leaves and berries scattered on the table around the glasses.
      Easy Strawberry, Blackberry, Banana Smoothie
    • Glass on wooden cutting board with white looking ice cubes and peach colored juice. It's topped with a sliced whole strawberry and 2 mint leaves.
      Easy Homemade Strawberry Peach Lemonade With Real Juice

    📖 Recipe

    Square photo of lemon martinis garnished with lemon wheels.

    Lavender Lemon Drop Martini Recipe

    A quick twist on a classic lemon drop, this lavender lemon drop recipe is the adult version of lavender lemonade!
    5 from 35 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 Cocktails
    Calories: 285kcal
    Author: Sabrina Currie

    Ingredients

    Lavender Lemon Drop Martini

    • 3 oz Lemon Juice
    • 1.5 oz Lavender Simple Syrup
    • 2 oz Orange Liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec etc)
    • 4 oz Vodka
    • Ice Cubes, enough to fill cocktail shaker
    • Lemon wheels or wedges or lavender sprigs for garnish

    Lavender Lemon Sugar Cocktail Rimmer

    • 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest
    • 1 tablespoon Culinary Lavender Buds Fresh or dried both work
    • ½ c Granulated Sugar

    Instructions

    Lavender Lemon Drop Martini

    • Place lavender lemon cocktail sugar in a plate that is just a little wider than the rims on your glasses.
      Cut a wedge of lemon, then make a cut in the middle of the flesh crosswise through to the skin with out cutting it in half.
      Run the cut middle around the rim of each martini glass, then press the rim into a plate full of lavender lemon sugar to coat the rim.
      Prepare chilled martini or coupe glasses with citrus juice along the rim then dip in lavender lemon sugar mixture.
    • Fill a cocktail shaker ¾ full with large ice. Add lemon juice, lavender simple syrup, orange liqueur and vodka. Cover top of shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
    • Strain into prepared martini glasses or coupes and garnish each with a lemon wheel or lavender sprig and serve right away.

    Lavender Lemon Sugar Cocktail Rimmer

    • Place all three ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz for 20-30 seconds until they are well incorporated together. Spread on a plate to use right away or let dry on a tray for a couple hours before storing in an airtight container until ready to use.

    Notes

    *Note: Nutritional information is based on the drink and does not include the sugar rim. The sugar rim mixture will be enough to coat the rims of approximately 10-12 glasses, depending on how wide each rim is.
    Pre chilling your cocktail glasses in the freezer or fridge, or by filling with ice water before emptying and pouring martinis will help give you the most crisp and refreshing drinks possible. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @wckitchengarden or tag #wckitchengarden!
    book cover titles 10 herbs 10 ways by Sabrina Currie West Coast Kitchen Garden over top of a white table full of various herbs.

    Get My Free Book

    10 Herbs 10Ways

    SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST + RECEIVE YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF

    10 HERBS 10 WAYS

    We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

    Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

    About Sabrina Currie

    Classically French trained cook, photographer and food stylist living on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Join Me On Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    Sabrina Currie in her kitchen

    Hi, I'm Sabrina! Welcome to my West Coast Kitchen Garden. I hope to inspire you to grow, forage and shop your local farmer's market with these easy and delicious recipes using whole foods.

    More about me →

    Most Recent Posts

    • Best (Easy) Vegan Rhubarb Crumble Recipe With Oats
    • Collage of four recipes with title in the middle. Shown is brie and blackberries baked in puff pastry, blackberry grilled cheese sandwiches stacked high and a plate of potatoes and veggies with blackberry glazed salmon and skewers of chicken with dark berry sauce.
      30 Best Savory Blackberry Recipes To Try This Summer
    • Collage of 4 celery recipes including creamy topped celery sticks, green celery juice, orange flecked cheese stuffed sticks and reindeer decorated celery topped with peanut butter and Nutella.
      Best Celery Snacks And Appetizers For kids And Adults
    • Round bowl of cupped tortilla chips with a bowl of white, red, green and purple ceviche in the middle.
      Easy And Healthy Cod Ceviche With Lime and Jalapeño
    • Collage of 4 recipes including a stack of green flecked fritters with sour cream on top, chicken yakitori skewers on a baking sheet, cauliflower and red pepper salad and yellow corn chowder in white bowls.
      What To Serve With Fritters For Dinner-55 Side Dishes
    • Collage of 4 recipes including long green broccolini, a chopped salad topped with hard boiled egg halves, a round loaf of bread and a white bowl of seafood fettuccini. Title text in the middle says, "30+ sides to serve with fettuccine alfredo."
      What Goes With Fettuccine Alfredo? Best 30 Side Dishes

    Follow to the bottom if you'd like to sign up for my latest shop sales, best cooking tips and newest recipes.

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Ooni Pizza Dough Cooking in the Fyra
      Ooni Pizza Dough Recipe
    • Chirashi Sushi Bowl Recipe
      Chirashi Sushi Bowl (aka Chirashizushi)
    • Miso Baked Oyster Recipe
      Miso Baked Oysters-A Quick And Easy West Coast Appetizer
    • A blue bowl of tortilla chips with a smaller black bowl of pink, red, green and purple rhubarb salsa in it. The background is all black.
      Savory Spring Rhubarb Salsa
    • Strawberry rhubarb oatmeal muffins on a flax colored linen tea towel with garden in background.
      Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Muffins
    • White and red cabbage sauerkraut with simple airlock lids
      Red Cabbage Sauerkraut/Fermented Red Cabbage
    Close up of thinly sliced sockeye salmon drizzled with white mayo based dressing and topped with arugula and a sprinkling of capers and red onions all on a blue plate.
    Best Salmon Carpaccio

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    Sabrina Currie of West Coast Kitchen Garden
    Sabrina Currie of West Coast Kitchen Garden

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Media Kit

    Copyright © West Coast Kitchen Garden 2021 - All Rights Reserved

     

    Loading Comments...