By Camper English

Ginger Lemon Drop

I’m lucky enough to have a lemon tree outside my apartment, and right now it’s bursting with fruit after this rainy winter. I hear it’s better for the tree to pick the fruit when it’s ripe rather than letting it rot, so I’ve got a heck of lot of lemons stacked up in the kitchen to use in food and drinks. I’m zesting and saving the peels to use in homemade limoncello liqueur, and using the insides for lemonade. Perhaps I’ll get crafty in the kitchen and learn to make a pie with them, instead of just squeezing them over my other food. (It doesn’t work on burritos.)

In any case, one of the best uses for lemons in cocktails is in the Lemon Drop. In this recipe instead of sugar or simple syrup to sweeten the drink I’ve used the delicious Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. (Also try it in a Sidecar or to put a new spin on a Vodka Tonic.) With an ounce of juice included, each cocktail uses up a medium-sized lemon. One down! But if you’ve got a big old tree in your yard like I do, I strongly recommend against trying to drink the entire harvest.

2 oz. lemon-flavored vodka
1 oz. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
1 oz. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Lemon wedge or candied ginger
for garnish (optional)

Add ingredients except garnish to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass and add garnish if desired.