Thursday, August 31, 2006

The Lemondrop Martini

Well in that case, Ms. Caffeinated, I shall oblige.

I get nostalgic just thinking of the glass, frosty chilled, the crunch of the sugar rim, with the palest of hue inside, lemon wedge bobbing. It helps if you pick your lemons fresh and squeeze them on the spot. This is an adult refresher that's not too sweet, not too tart, no garish neon or pucker here. This is NOT dessert in a glass. Nor is it your kid's powdered lemonade stand made into a martini. It is the real deal. Simple, elegant, restrained. Done well, it's timeless.

Ahhh, The Lemondrop Martini....a most perfect summer sipper.

Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add in:

1 1/2 oz vodka of choice
1/2 oz triple sec
1 t. simple syrup (made ahead)
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (I prefer Meyer lemons if you can get them)

Shake and strain into chilled sugar-rimmed martini glass.
Garnish with a lemon wedge.


Cheers!

2 comments:

Carrie Wilson Link said...

What the heck is "simple syrup", it sounds too complicated for me! Help me, here, I'm craving an adult beverage!

Go Mama said...

Ok, here ya go.

Simple syrup is basically sugar water, a common bartender's friend, which dissolves in an icy cocktail better than sugar granules do. You can make a batch and store in a jar or bottle indefinitely in the refigerator. The classic ratio is 2:1, that is, 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. This basic syrup is used for any number of cocktail recipes. Recipe follows.

Simple Syrup

2 C. sugar
1 C. water

Place in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Simmer about 5 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool. Funnel into bottle or jar and store in the refrigerator. (I use an old glass salad dressing bottle.) Ta da! Instant disolvable sweetner.

Cheers!