Grilled Lemon Cherry Drop Martini

Fire up the grill because it’s martini time! Are you a little surprised by that statement? Honestly, I would have been too. Grilling is something I never thought would be a part of a cocktail. The adventurous path of cooking took me to a whole new place. Now that I’ve visited it, I know I’ll be returning often. Let the experiments begin! But first, I had to share this recipe for Grilled Lemon Cherry Drop Martini.

How did this adventure get started? My friend Terry gave me a stack of magazines. They sat on my coffee table for the longest time. Then one day I decided to browse through them. I came across a tip about charring lemons in a cast iron skillet in one of the issues of Bon Appetit. It was intriguing and interesting. I cut out the page and set it aside to save for later.

It had been a while since I posted a beverage recipe. The jar of cherries in syrup in the fridge needed to be used too. I looked up cherry martinis and stumbled on a few ones with lemon. Then the idea struck me. Why not try grilling lemons to char them and then use that to make a martini? Oh yes! And the concocting began…

Grilled Lemon Cherry Drop Martini is a twist on a classic Lemon Drop. Grilling lemons intensifies the flavor. It also intensifies the tartness of a regular lemon and brings out more sweetness in a Meyer lemon. I used regular lemons and this martini will make you pucker. Cherry syrup does sweeten it a little and gives it a lovely color. There is a slight smoky flavor and a hint of bitterness from the charred part of the lemon and olive oil (brushed on before grilling). Think of it as like adding a dash bitters to a cocktail.

Have you ever grilled lemons? It’s a first for me and it won’t be the last. I can see sipping on this martini while manning the grill for Chimichurri Skirt Steak or Sweet Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin. I still have more cherries and there is a cake in the works. Stay tuned for that recipe and more. Cheers!

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Grilled Lemon Cherry Drop Martini

A recipe for Grilled Lemon Cherry Drop Martini. Lemons are grilled to enhance the flavor then the juice is shaken with vodka, cherry syrup, and ice.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Total Time 20 minutes

Author Renee

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 lemons
• Olive oil
• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 3 teaspoons cherry syrup*

Instructions

1. Heat grill to medium-high. Cut lemons in half and brush cut sides with olive oil.
2. If grilled lemon slices are desired for garnishing, cut a lemon into 1/3-inch slices and brush one side with olive oil.
3. Grill lemons cut side down until charred, about 3 minutes for lemon halves and 1 minute for slices.
4. Squeeze and strain the juice from the lemon halves.
5. Combine 1 1/2 ounces grilled lemon juice, vodka, and cherry syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, cover, and shake vigorougly.
6. Pour and strain shaken mixture into a chilled martini glass.
7. Garnish with grilled lemon slices if desired.

Recipe Notes

*The syrup from homemade cherries in syrup is recommended.