The lime martini is a tart, refreshing cocktail made with just a few simple ingredients. It is ideal for those who like a strong lime flavor and prefer their drinks to have more sour notes than sweet ones. Made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, vodka, and a splash of orange liqueur it packs a punch of citrus flavour.

Two lime martinis garnished with lime slices.

A tart, refreshing cocktail with a burst of fresh lime, the lime martini is the perfect drink for those who like sour. This is a cocktail that is delicious on a hot summer day.

If you like citrus-flavored drinks, you may enjoy the strawberry lemon martini or the grapefruit martini cocktail.

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The Lime Drop Martini

The lime drop martini, is a twist on the popular lemon drop.

Instead of lemons, fresh limes are used to make this cocktail, giving it a punch of sour flavor.

Made with fresh citrus juice, vodka, simple syrup, and a splash of orange liqueur, this drink is perfect for those who love their drinks on the tart side.

The fresh lime makes this a refreshing drink that is perfect for sipping on a hot day with appetizers such as Street Corn Dip or Guacamole and a big bowl of tortilla chips.

We use unflavored vodka for this cocktail, but you can use citrus vodka such as lemon or lime, or if you like the botanical notes of gin, you can use that instead.

Ingredients & Substitutions

For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Vodka— I use regular, unflavored vodka for this recipe, but for more citrus flavor, I highly recommend using lime or citrus vodka for this recipe.

Gin can be used instead of vodka if you enjoy the botanical notes of the spirit.

Orange liqueur – We’ve used triple sec in this recipe, but Cointreau will work just as well. So use what you have.

Simple syrup – Simple syrup is made from equal parts water and granulated sugar. It helps mellow the tartness and blend the flavours. It is easy to make and the instructions are provided further down in this post. For optimal citrus flavor, use lime simple syrup instead.

Fresh lime juice – You will need one to two to three whole limes, depending on their size. While you could use bottled if you don’t have fresh limes on hand, you may need to adjust the amount as bottled can have a stronger taste than fresh.

Simple Syrup Recipe

Simple syrup is made with just 2 ingredients:

Granulated sugar
Water

Simply place equal parts sugar and water in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Allow the sugar water to cool and then pour into a container, such as a glass jar or bottle, for storage.

This should keep for several months in the refrigerator.

Equipment

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While you don’t need anything other than something to shake the cocktail and a couple of glasses, some things will make your cocktail experience more enjoyable.

Cocktail shaker – A cocktail shaker will help you mix your drinks quickly while chilling them. There are many styles to choose from, and you don’t need anything fancy. One of my favourites is a mason jar style shaker, and if you don’t have a proper cocktail shaker, a mason jar with a lid will work too.

Martini glasses – You don’t need anything fancy, but proper martini glasses will make this drink extra pretty. You can use stemmed martini glasses or stemless martini glasses. A short cocktail glass will work fine if you don’t have a martini glass.

Citrus press – You will need something to extract the juice from the lime. While a good strong squeeze of the hand will work, a citrus press or juicer will make things easier.

Jigger – A jigger will allow you to measure your ingredients precisely. It is small and designed to measure and pour the smaller quantities generally used in cocktails. You can use a small measuring cup or glass if you don’t have a jigger.