It's Friday. Not that you can't make this cocktail on a Monday...and some Mondays call for a cocktail...but Fridays are an excellent excuse to break out the cocktail shaker.
Lemon Drops: they're the perfect combination of lemon, vodka, sugar and syrup.
Let me tell you about this Cupcake Lemon Drop Cocktail...it's sweet and citrus-y, heady with vanilla...like a lemon cupcake with a definite kick.
You'll need this:
The syrup in this drink is Cupcake Syrup...it's a beverage syrup like one you might have in your morning latte.
I ordered mine directly from Torani. Feel free to substitute vanilla syrup here (but I promise you'll smile every time you see cupcake syrup in your cabinet).
The finishing touch is a splash or two of sparkling lemon soda. Don't get hung up on a precise brand here...anything will work. I tested quite a few of these (*ahem* all in the name of research and recipe development). Sparkling lemonade, Italian lemon soda, even a Limon Izze...all work well here.
So, are you ready for cocktail hour?
Cupcake Lemon Drop Cocktail
Yield: 1 cocktail
  Prep time: 5 minutes
  
    A sweet twist on a classic cocktail…storing your vodka in the freezer
    ensures an icy cold drink.
  
  [note: if you can’t find cupcake syrup, substitute vanilla.]
  
    1 1/2 ounces
    cupcake flavored beverage syrup, plus more for rimming the glass
  
  Imperial granulated sugar
  2 ounces vanilla vodka
  1/2 ounce Cointreau
  1 1/2 ounces lemon juice
  ice
  Sparkling lemon soda or lemonade
  
    Brush the rim of a cocktail glass with cupcake syrup.  Pour sugar onto
    a plate and dip the glass into the sugar. 
  
  
    Pour the cupcake syrup, vodka, Cointreau, and lemon juice into a cocktail
    shaker.  Add several ice cubes.  Shake well.  Strain the
    mixture into the prepared glass.  Top with the sparking lemon
    soda. 
  
  
    Cheers! 
  
  
