Martha Shows Us How to Make the Perfect Lemon Drop Martini

One of Martha's secrets to hosting a great dinner party is to serve a great cocktail.

She recently shared her go-to drink over the weekend, when she hosted the opening events for her new restaurant, The Bedford by decorvow, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

During the celebrations, she demonstrated how to make the perfect martini—one of the signature cocktails on the restaurant's menu.

She offered a step-by-step tutorial to the attendees, using fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Belvedere vodka, and Cointreau. "Look for Meyer lemons," she says. "I know they're a little more expensive than regular old lemons, but these are fragrant and beautiful lemons that were hybridized out in California."

To make it, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add a small jigger (1 ounce) of Cointreau, 2 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce of Meyer lemon syrup (made with lemon juice, sugar, and water), 2 ounces of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and the peel.

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She then rolls the rim of the glass in raw sugar for a decorative and crunchy touch. If you're hosting lots of guests, Martha suggests completing this task earlier in the day to allow the glasses to dry properly.

Adorn the glass with a lemon peel and add a large ice cube before pouring in the shaken drink mixture. Make sure to shake the ingredients until the shaker is frosted on the outside, Martha advises. You'll know it's well shaken when you can write your initials into the frost with your fingertip.

In addition to being featured at The Bedford, the cocktail recipe can also be found in Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen.