A simple 5 minute cocktail that requires minimal bartending skills but results in maximum flavor and feels so sophisticated. This Lime Drop Martini is tart! It contains plenty of fresh lime juice, vodka, and triple sec and is finished off with a zest and sugar rim.

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About this Cocktail
You may have had a Lemon Drop Martini before, but I wanted to give that a bit of a twist and use lime instead. This martini contains plenty of fresh lime juice with a lime zest and sugar rim. It’s a refreshing cocktail that takes less than 5 minutes to make that I’m going to be sipping on all summer long.
This Lime Drop is tart! I love the sour lime acidity to take off the edge of the vodka. Recently, I tried a chocolate martini and was FLOORED at how good it was (maybe I should say, I was boozed up - holy heck it was strong.
I understand that is the job of a good martini though and we won’t skimp on the alcohol in this Lime Drop Martini recipe. We will use both vodka and Triple Sec for a nice balance of flavors and a little extra citrus.
If you're looking for more citrus cocktails, also try this Limoncello Spritz, this Spicy Mezcal Paloma, this Spicy Orange Margarita, or these Green Tea Shots that I'm sure you'll love, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Vodka - This is the main liquor in our Martini. It’s smooth a smooth blank slate that takes on the Lime flavors in this cocktail. Pro tip: Kirkland Vodka from Costco is basically Grey Goose for a fraction of the price and you don’t need a Costco card if you’re going just to buy alcohol. Yup, you’re welcome.
- Triple Sec (or any orange liquor) - Adds some extra citrus and a bit of sweetness while keeping this Martini spirit forward.
- Limes - juiced - It is a LIME Drop Martini after all. Fresh squeezed is a must! Don’t try to use bottled juice from the store. Limes are the star of the show and you want the freshest flavor possible.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
Just a few simple steps any mixologist can do.
- Add vodka, triple sec, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
2. Use a grater to zest lime. Combine lime zest and sugar and pour into a glass rimmer or small dish.
3. Run a lime wedge around the rim of each glass and then dip into lime zest and sugar mixture.
4. Pour cocktail into cocktail glasses and cheers!
For more tips and tricks on how to craft the perfect cocktail, check out my post here including all of the Mixology Must Haves.
Recipe FAQs
This cocktail can definitely be made ahead of time and/or stored for later enjoyment. After mixing up all of the ingredients in the cocktail shaker, keep in the refrigerator in a pitcher before you're ready to drink. I suggest rimming the glasses just before serving.
f you don’t have fresh limes or want to try another flavor, follow your heart! Any store bought juice can be put into this recipe. You’ll need about ¼ cup of whatever juice you choose. A few suggestions I think would be delicious are cranberry, grapefruit, blood orange, lemon, or even pineapple for something sweeter!
If you don’t have a zester, use a box grater! If you don’t have that either, you can use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel of the lime, then very finely dice those strips of the peel (and I mean VERY finely dice to achieve a zest like texture).
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Recipe
Lime Drop Martini
Equipment
- Zester
- Juicer
- glass rimmer or small dish
- Cocktail shaker
- Shot glass or jigger
- martini glasses
Ingredients
- 4.5 oz vodka
- 2 oz triple sec
- 1.5 oz simple syrup, or liquid stevia
- 2 limes, juiced
- ice
Lime Zest
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 1 zest from lime
- lime wheels / mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Add vodka, triple sec, lime juice, ice and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
- Use a grater to zest lime. Combine lime zest and sugar and pour into a glass rimmer or small dish.
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of each glass and then dip into lime zest and sugar mixture.
- Use a strainer (it removes the leftover ice) and pour cocktail into martini glasses . Cheers!
Nutrition
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you're using MyFitnessPal, search 'A Paige Of Positivity' and find RECIPE TITLE calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
NOTE: this is counting the alcohol as strictly carbs - remember, if you are counting your macros & alcohol, this is a good reference: Macrostax | How To Calculate Alcohol for Macro Counting
TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS A CARBOHYDRATE: Use the total number of calories in a drink divided by 4 (Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 132 calories/4 = 33g Carbs. TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS A FAT: Use the total number of calories in a drink divided by 9 (Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 132 calories/9 = 15g Fat) TO COUNT YOUR ALCOHOL AS BOTH A CARBOHYDRATE AND A FAT: Use the a portion of the total number of calories in a drink divided by 4 Use the remainder of the total number of calories in a drink divided by 9. Example: 5 ounces of Red Zinfandel = 132 calories 66 calories/4 = 16.5g Carbs 66 calories/9 = 7g Fat
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
tart cocktail that has the perfect sweetness (sugar rim!!) SO good!
Sydney Van Acker says
If you want to impress your friends with minimal effort, this cocktail is IT. felt so sophisticated sipping on this