Blue Lemon Martini
5 min
|
easy
|
gluten-free,
lactose-free,
low-fat
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
Meet the Blue Lemon Martini, basically a Lemon Drop with blue curaçao swagger, bright lemon snap, clean vodka, and just enough simple syrup to go down dangerously smooth.
It is a showy, easy-shake cocktail that makes sense for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and any summer drinks spread when you want something crisp, festive, and totally sippable.
Ingredients (1 serving)
Get Ingredients →Order the ingredients from your local store for pickup or delivery. You’ll check out through Instacart.
Ingredients:
- 2 fl oz vodka vodka 2 fl oz
- 1 fl oz blue curaçao blue curaçao 1 fl oz
- ¾ fl oz fresh lemon juice lemon 0.5 ct (for fresh lemon juice)
- ½ fl oz simple syrup (adjust to taste) granulated sugar 1 oz (for simple syrup)
- ice ice
- lemon slice (for garnish) lemon 0.1 ct (for lemon slice)
How to Make Blue Lemon Martini
-
Chill the glass
Set a martini glass in the freezer for 10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you mix.
-
Load the shaker
Fill a cocktail shaker two thirds full with fresh, hard ice for optimal chill and controlled dilution.
-
Measure and add
Pour 2 oz vodka, 1 oz blue curaçao, 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 1/2 oz simple syrup into the shaker using a jigger for accuracy.
-
Shake like you mean it
Seal and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds until the shaker is frosty and you hear the pitch change as the ice rounds off.
-
Taste check
Crack the tin and straw-taste, adding a splash more simple syrup for softness or a squeeze more lemon for bite if needed.
-
Strain and garnish
Dump the ice water from the glass if using and fine strain the cocktail into the chilled glass to keep it crystal clear.
Garnish with a lemon slice and serve immediately while icy-cold.
Substitutions
- Vodka -> London Dry gin
- Swapping in gin adds a crisp botanical backbone that plays beautifully with orange notes from curaçao while keeping the color bright and the finish snappy.
- Blue curaçao -> dry curaçao + 1 tiny drop blue food coloring
- Dry curaçao gives a cleaner, more orange-peel-forward profile with less sweetness, and a toothpick’s touch of blue restores the signature hue; bump simple syrup by 1/4 oz if you miss the sweetness.
- Simple syrup -> honey syrup (1:1 honey and hot water)
- Honey syrup brings gentle floral depth and a rounder mouthfeel without clouding the drink, framing the lemon with a softer edge.
Tips
- Dial in dilution
- Shaking 12 to 15 seconds with solid ice gives you about 3/4 oz dilution per drink, which smooths the citrus without washing out the color.
- Fine strain for silkiness
- Use a Hawthorne strainer plus a fine mesh strainer to catch ice shards so the blue stays glassy and the texture sips like satin.
- Fresh juice only
- Bottle lemon juice dulls the color and the flavor; squeeze right before mixing for that bright, clean snap.
- Micro-season with saline
- Two small drops of 20 percent saline solution in the shaker make citrus pop and tame bitterness without tasting salty.
- Chill everything
- A frozen glass and cold spirits keep the drink crisp longer, so you get aroma and balance from first sip to last.
- Use a real jigger
- Precision matters in a sour-style cocktail; a tight 2:1:0.75:0.5 ratio keeps the color vivid and the sweetness in check.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 146 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 0 | g |
| Total Fat | 0 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 10 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- My martini looks teal or green, what happened?
- Too much yellow from lemon or a curaçao that is less saturated can push the blend toward green; cut the lemon by 1/8 oz, add a tiny touch of blue coloring if needed, and make sure your lemon juice is freshly strained and not pulpy.
- It tastes too sweet, how do I fix it?
- Shake it again with 1/4 oz extra lemon juice to rebalance, or add 3 to 4 more ice cubes and shake hard for extra dilution that softens sweetness without changing the recipe.
- Can I batch this for a party?
- Yes; for 8 drinks mix 16 oz vodka, 8 oz blue curaçao, 6 oz lemon juice, and 4 oz simple syrup, then add 6 to 8 oz cold water to mimic shake dilution, chill thoroughly, and keep refrigerated; stir with ice to order and strain into chilled glasses.
- What vodka works best?
- A clean 80 proof vodka with minimal minerality lets the citrus and orange liqueur shine; keep it in the freezer so the drink starts ice-cold.
- Can I make a zero-proof version?
- Use 2 oz non-alcoholic vodka or cold water, 1 oz blue curaçao syrup, 3/4 oz lemon juice, and 1/2 oz simple syrup, then shake and strain; top with a 1 oz splash of chilled soda for lift if you like.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it with briny Castelvetrano olives or salty chips so the citrus and orange notes feel even brighter and you get that addictive sip-crunch rhythm.
For a luxe twist, swap the lemon for 1/2 oz yuzu and 1/4 oz lemon, or float a 1 oz splash of very cold prosecco on top for a sparkling blue stunner.
Reviews
We haven’t received any feedback on this recipe yet.
Made this recipe? How did it go?
Please leave your feedback below. We’d love to hear from you!
