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Mixing smooth vodka with tart lime juice and orange liqueur, the Key Lime Drop Martini gives the classic martini recipe a Florida makeover. Extremely easy to make at home, and even easier to drink, this recipe is sure to impress your friends and family. To keep things local, we use Florida Vodka, a local alternative to triple sec called Tippler’s and fresh key lime juice. Finished off with a splash of our homemade simple syrup, this recipe is the perfect happy hour cocktail. Help support local Florida distilleries and enjoy your Key Lime Drop Martini. Cheers!
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make A Key Lime Drop Martini?
The Alcohol
The Vodka: It’s important to use a quality vodka in this martini recipe. A Martini is vodka heavy, so a poor-quality vodka will stick out like a sore thumb. Luckily, Florida distilleries excel in making smooth Vodkas, so there are plenty for you to choose from.
Our go to Florida Vodka is the incredibly smooth and insanely affordable Coast from Kozuba & Sons Distillery. We love that a portion of every sale goes to the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida which helps protect Florida’s coastlines. It also comes in a handy box that is perfect for the beach or pool. Other great options are Banyan Reserve from St. Petersburg Distillery and Florida Cane Vodka from St. Augustine Distillery.
Recommended Florida Vodka:
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The Orange Liqueur: The orange liqueur in this recipe mixes perfectly with the lime and really rounds out the drink. Any orange liqueur will work, but Florida has their very own local version! For any recipe that calls for Triple Sec or Cointreau we use Tippler’s from St. Petersburg distillery. This fantastic liqueur is made with whole Florida oranges, peel and all. FYI, if you are a Margarita fan then you are definitely going to want to add this to your bar cart!
Recommended Florida Orange Liqueur:
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The Mixers
The Citrus- Fresh: Key Limes are slightly more acidic and floral than the more common Persian lime and are great for using in cocktails. Depending on your location they can be difficult to find, so you can absolutely use the Persian limes if you can’t find key limes. If you use a lot of citrus juice in your cocktails and/or cooking, then buy a citrus press. It’s a gamechanger. You yield a lot more juice out of your lemons and limes, you don’t have to worry about seeds, and you cut down on the mess of squeezing with your hands. We use a Zulay citrus press which has the added bonus of being a two in one design that handles both lemons and limes with equally perfect results.
Recommended Juicer: Zulay Premium Citrus Press
The Citrus- Bottled: While fresh lime juice is always best, bottled lime juice is more convenient. If you do opt for bottled then use Nellie & Joes: Key West Lime Juice. It’s by far the best bottled lime juice that you can buy at the supermarket.
Recommended Lime Juice: NELLY & JOE’S Key West Lime Juice, 16 oz
The Sweetener: Simple syrups are so easy to make at home, so if you’ve been buying store bought syrups then save your money! For this recipe you can either use our homemade plain simple syrup or if you want to double down on the lime the you can use our homemade lime simple syrup. All of our homemade simple syrup recipes use organic Florida cane sugar from Florida Crystals, one of the most ecofriendly farms in the country!
Recommended Sweetener: Homemade Simple Syrup
How Should I Serve A Key Lime Drop Martini?
The Glass: You know it’s happy hour when you are sipping out of a Martini glass. This style of glass was specifically designed for chilled cocktails that are served without ice. The long stem keeps your hand away from the side of the glass so that you don’t inadvertently warm up the liquid. Durable, elegant and perfectly weighted, the undisputed king of Martini glasses are Duke’s Bar Martini Glasses.
Recommended martini glass: Duke’s Bar Martini Glass, Set of 2
Shaken or Stirred: James bond was right, a Martini should be “shaken, not stirred”. It is especially important for flavored variations of Martini’s that contain citrus juice to ensure everything is properly mixed, ice cold and refreshing. We love the beautifully designed shakers from Absolut Elyx Boutique. The patterned brass designs are stunning. You can get $15 off your first order by using this link.
Recommended cocktail shaker: ABSOLUT ELYX BOUTIQUE Brass Cocktail Shaker. (Use this link to get $15 off your first order)
Straight up or on the rocks: This Key Lime Martini should be served straight up. We always chill the glass first by filling with ice and topping with cold water. When you’re ready to serve, dump out the ice and strain your martini into an ice-cold glass.
The Garnish: To finish off this happy hour cocktail we like to coat the rim with a mix of sugar and lime zest. To do this take the zest from one lime and mix it with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Then lay the mixture on a plate. Rub a lime wedge on the rim of the martini glass and then dip in the sugar/zest mix until well coated.
We hope you enjoy our Key Lime Drop Martini recipe below, and as always drink local and drink responsibly. Cheers!
This post contains affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when purchases of recommended products are made. This is at no additional cost to you, and every penny we make goes back into buying and trying more tasty Floridian tipples.
Key Lime Drop Martini Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 oz Florida Vodka
- 1 oz Orange Liqueur
- 1.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 oz Simple Syrup
- Zest of 1 Lime (Garnish)
- 2 Tbsp Sugar (Garnish)
Instructions
- Step 1: Add Vodka, Orange Liqueur, Simple Syrup and Lime Juice to a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Step 2: Shake for 15-20 seconds.
- Step 3: Strain into a chilled Martini glass.
Notes
The Coated Rim
Step 1: Mix the sugar and the lime zest on a plate.
Step 2: Rub the rim of the martini glass with a lime wedge.
Step 3: Dip the rim of the martini glass in the sugar and zest mix until well coated.
OTHER FLORIDA COCKTAIL RECIPES TO TRY:
Old Fashioned Floridian (Orange Old Fashioned)
4 Florida Fall Apple Cider Cocktails
4 Florida Fall Pumpkin Spice Cocktails
Tampa Bay Breeze (Tampa Bay Rays game day cocktail)
Tom(ahawk) Collins (FSU game day cocktail)
The Gator (UF game day cocktail)
Knightro (UCF game dat cocktail)
