You can sip homemade lemon vodka with soda water or fresh fruit juices, or on the rocks. Here's how to make it.
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.
Jennifer Schwarzkopf for Taste of Home
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.
Jennifer Schwarzkopf for Taste of Home
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.
Jennifer Schwarzkopf for Taste of Home
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.
Jennifer Schwarzkopf for Taste of Home
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
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Strawberry Watermelon LemonadeThe nutrition department at my local hospital inspired me to create this refreshing summer sipper. I tweaked their recipe slightly to create this drink full of sweet-tart flavor. —Dawn Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
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
Spiked LemonadeRum gives a tropical addition to this fabulous homemade lemonade. If you have vodka on hand, try that instead of the rum. —Susan Hein, Burlington, Wisconsin. Looking for more? here's our collection of the best spiked lemonade drinks for summer.
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 that 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
Summertime TeaYou can’t have a summer gathering around here without this sweet tea to cool you down. It’s wonderful for sipping while basking by the pool. —Angela Lively, Baxter, Tennessee
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
Rosemary LemonadeA friend suggested I add a sprig of rosemary to lemonade. The herb makes the drink taste fresh and light, and it's a pretty garnish. —Dixie Graham, Rancho Cucamonga, California
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
Blackberry LemonadeHere's a special drink that's perfect when blackberries are in season. It has a tangy, refreshing flavor. —Rich Murray, Nevada, Missouri
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
Lemonade Iced TeaI have always loved iced tea with lemon, and this delightful thirst quencher just takes it one step further. Lemonade gives the drink a nice color too. I dress up each glass with a slice of lemon on the rim. —Gail Buss, New Bern, North Carolina
Raspberry Lemonade ConcentrateHere's a concentrate that allows you to enjoy a refreshing summer beverage any time of year. Sweet raspberries balance the tartness from lemons. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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
Lemony CoolerEveryone thinks I've gone to a lot of trouble when making this refreshing summer drink, but it's so easy! I also like to make my own pretty ice cubes by adding 1/2 cup lemon juice and a mint sprig to 4 cups water.—Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Strawberry Lemonade SmoothieWe love the perfect blend of sweet and citrus in this refreshing smoothie. It's so easy to throw together, I often find myself making one for breakfast or a midday snack. — Jamie King, Duluth, Minnesota
Apricot Lemonade Iced TeaEvery special occasion deserves a refreshing beverage (and a lovely punch bowl). Our tea has a tangy flavor from lemonade, apricot nectar and mint. —Kay Chon, Sherwood, Arkansas
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
Grilled Lemon & Thyme LemonadeWe use our grill for most summer dinners, so we thought, "why not grill the lemonade?" The flavor is surprisingly smooth, with just the right amount of honey and herbs. We call it Thyme for Lemonade. —Susan Jordan, Denver, Colorado
Half Chilean, half Irish descent and all joie de vivre, I'm a food writer/photographer who loves to share stories about different cultures and the magic that is sharing a meal together. When not doing that, you'll find me working on my culinary degree, hanging with family & friends, and just trying to "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." Salud!
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Updated: May 10, 2022
