Lemon Cream Martini

This sweet and velvety lemon cream martini is the perfect cocktail to celebrate the bright sunny days of spring. This lemon-forward libation is a sweet and refreshing combination of limoncello, vanilla vodka, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. Heavy cream gives the cocktail a luscious, creamy texture that complements its sweet and tart citrus flavors.

Lemon Cream Martini Ingredients

• Limoncello: Limoncello, with its bright citrusy flavor, is a classic Italian liqueur made by infusing lemon peels into alcohol that’s sweetened with simple syrup. You can easily make homemade limoncello at home, though the process will take a few weeks. Whether you make it yourself or buy some from the store, use leftover limoncello to make Ina Garten’s limoncello spritz, or try it in a dessert recipe such as limoncello tiramisu or limoncello cream pie.
• Vanilla vodka: This slightly sweet, vanilla-flavored vodka adds a hint of vanilla to the lemon cream martini, enhancing its creaminess and complexity.
• Lemon juice: Freshly juice a lemon yourself for the best flavor.
• Simple syrup: Store-bought or homemade simple syrup counterbalances the tart flavor of the lemon juice.
• Heavy cream: The addition of heavy cream adds a luscious texture and creamy flavor to the cocktail.
• Optional garnish: Add an extra touch of spring by topping each cocktail with an edible flower. Choose pesticide-free blooms from your own garden, or find edible flowers in specialty or gourmet markets, or via online purveyors.

Directions

Step 1: Mix and shake

Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice. Add the limoncello, vanilla vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup and heavy cream. Cover and shake until condensation forms on the outside of the shaker, 10 to 15 seconds.

Step 2: Strain

Strain into a coupe glass and top with an edible dried flower, if desired.

Editor’s Tip: Chill your glass in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before pouring the cocktail to help keep the cocktail cool and crisp for longer after serving.

Lemon Cream Martini Variations

• Add a sugar rim: Add a little sparkle to your cocktail by giving the glass a sugar rim. Rub the edge of the coupe glass with a lemon wedge, sprinkle sugar on a plate and dip the rim in the sugar.
• Give it a twist: Instead of an edible flower, garnish the cocktail with a lemon wheel or twist.
• Get inspired by lemon cream pie: For a pie-inspired martini, add a graham cracker crumb rim to the glass.

Can you make a lemon cream martini in advance?

Due to the cream component in this cocktail, this is not an ideal drink to prepare in advance or batch, as the cream will separate from the rest of the ingredients.

Lemon Cream Martini Tips

What’s the best type of glass for a lemon cream martini?

A coupe glass is the ideal cocktail glass for serving lemon cream martinis. You could also serve this cocktail in a classic martini glass or a Nick and Nora glass.