You can sip homemade lemon vodka with soda water or fresh fruit juices, or on the rocks. Here's how to make it.
How to Make Lemon Vodka
Updated May 10, 2022
Together, we’ve made strawberry vodka. Now, we’re ready to try lemon vodka! It’s even easier than the strawberry version—if you can believe that—and goes with almost all mixers.
Choosing Your Ingredients
As you know, the best ingredients make the best final product. We’re using Tito’s vodka because it makes a mean drink (it’s smooth) and the freshest lemons available.
Lemon Vodka Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pint of vodka
- 3 lemons
- 1-2 tablespoons of superfine sugar
Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have superfine sugar, granulated sugar will work, as well!
Instructions
Step 1: Find a one-quart container
For this recipe, the ingredients are based on a one-quart container. Yes! It is indeed a one-quart jar filled with 12 lemon quarters.
However, if you have a different size vessel, simply adjust the amount of vodka and lemons accordingly. The repurposed glass jar we’re using shows the lovely soaking lemons. It’s beautiful to look at and will taste great.
Step 2: Get started on the lemons
No one wants debris in their vodka, right? Here’s how to wash lemons. Once the lemons are clean, cut off the ends and quarter them.
Step 3: Fill the jar
Put the lemons in the container. Don’t be shy. Feel free to squish them in there! It may feel like putting 10 pounds of sugar in a 5-pound sack, but you can do it. It will make your vodka that much better, so don’t skimp.
Then, fill to the top with vodka. If you’re adding sugar, include it now. (You can shake it all up to allow for even distribution after you seal it.)
Seal the jar tightly and place it in a cool, dark location. I like to put my jar on a pantry shelf.
Step 4: Wait
When I was pregnant, and past my due date, my husband decided to make limoncello from scratch. After zesting 30 lemons and mixing everything together, he placed it in the basement. When we returned home from the hospital some 10 days later, the concoction was ready for my mother and hubby to celebrate the new addition. (I was still too tired!)
The moral of the story is, let your lemon vodka rest for a week to 10 days. Then, give it a taste to see if it’s lemony enough for you. If you’d like it to have a stronger lemon flavor, let it sit a few days longer until it reaches the lemon level you’re looking for.
Once it gets there, strain the vodka, discard the lemon quarters and rebottle your vodka.
Drinks to Make with Lemon Vodka
It’s time to enjoy your concoction! Try a lemon martini, replacing the limoncello with additional lemon vodka. You can also use it in place of plain vodka in such drinks as an Apple Martini, this delightful Spiked Pink Lady or my personal favorite: the Rosemary & Thyme Lemon Cocktail.
Just like with food, the acid in citrus helps balance sweetness and works great with salt (margarita, anyone?). So, play around with your new signature lemon vodka. Trust us, this won’t be the last vodka you infuse!
Lemonade Recipes to Spike with Vodka
Old-Fashioned LemonadeA sweet-tart lemonade is a traditional part of my Memorial Day and Fourth of July menus. Folks can't get enough of the fresh-squeezed flavor in this recipe. —Tammi Simpson, Greensburg, Kentucky
Fresh Peach LemonadeLooking for a new twist on lemonade? Fresh peaches lend a fruity flavor to this summertime must-have. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas
Peach-Basil Lemonade SlushThis chilly slush with peaches, lemon juice and garden-fresh basil is hands-down the best lemonade ever. It tastes just like summer. —Dana Hinck, Pensacola, Florida
Rhubarb Lemonade SlushMy family loves rhubarb, and this is such a fun way to enjoy it. It's nice to have in the freezer and bring out when guests drop by. Even people who aren't crazy about rhubarb enjoy it. —Cathie Beard, Philomath, Oregon
Blackberry Beer CocktailThis refreshing hard lemonade has a mild alcohol flavor; the beer adds just enough fizz to dance on your tongue as you sip. Sorry, adults only! —Ginger Sullivan, Cutler Bay, Florida
Brighten up summer cookouts with a batch of these lemonade cocktails.
Kentucky LemonadeMint and bourbon give this drink a bit of a Kentucky kick, and ginger ale makes it a fizzy party punch. —Cathy Justus, Taylor, Michigan
Orange LemonadeThis juice is a favorite at our place. I'll often double the batch and send a jar next door to my mother-in-law! I was looking for a way to sweeten lemonade without using more sugar when I came up with the recipe. —Wendy Masters, Grand Valley, Ontario
Aunt Frances’ LemonadeMy sister and I spent a week each summer with our Aunt Frances, who always had this thirst-quenching lemonade in a stoneware crock in her refrigerator. It makes a refreshing drink after a hot day of running around. —Debbie Reinhart, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Sparkling Kiwi LemonadeKeep some kiwi ice cubes in the freezer so they’re ready whenever you crave a tall glass of this dressed-up summertime favorite. —Emily Seidel, Ainsworth, Nebraska
Red, White and Blue Frozen LemonadeThis patriotic drink is as pretty as it is delicious. With cherries, blueberries and lemon juice, we created a striped lemonade that is perfect for a Fourth of July celebration. —Shawn Carleton, San Diego, California
Lemonade Recipe FAQ
What is the formula for lemonade?
In the most basic sense, lemonade is made with sugar, water and lemon juice. How much of each depends on personal preference. Typically, you start by making a basic simple syrup with equal parts water and sugar. (It's the same stuff you'd use in cocktails like a mint julep.) Once you've made the syrup, add water and lemon juice to suit your tastes. The more lemon juice you use, the more tart your lemonade will be.
Should you add citric acid to lemonade?
It's completely up to you. Our recipes don't call for it—just plain ol' fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Natural lemon juice has citric acid in it, but if you're looking for even more tartness, adding one to two tablespoons of citric acid will do the trick. You can find the organic compound in grocery stores or online.
Note: Recipes submitted by our trusted contributors are created and tested in their kitchens.
Originally Published: May 06, 2020
