Anyone who cooks or bakes knows—lemon juice and zest really pack a punch in everything from sweet to savory recipes. Turns out, the same goes for drinks too, and this list of 25 super lemon-y cocktails is proof. Whether you want to turn homemade (or store-bought, no judgment!) lemonade into a party-worthy drink, keep it simple with just a squeeze of lemon paired with alcohol and liquors for an after-dinner drink, or something in between, there’s something here for everyone, and every occasion.
Speaking of lemonade, it really is the easiest shortcut to a fun cocktail there is. Turn it into our giggle juice, our lemonade mimosas, our blueberry lemonade margaritas, our spiked sparkling basil lemonade…sky’s the limit, but watch out—the sweet-tart flavor of these drinks does help mask the burn of alcohol, but they’re still plenty boozy. Want to switch it up a bit? Try swapping in for pink lemonade to add a pop of color and strawberry flavor.
Want to keep things extra simple? If you’ve got some (freshly squeezed please!) lemon juice, a little simple syrup (honey works too), and your alcohol of choice and you’ll be on your way to a super satisfying beverage, without a ton of work or extra ingredients. Check out our Tom Collins, our Bee’s Knees, our Sidecars, or our lemon drop martinis to see just how easy we’re talking.
Want more cocktail ideas? Don’t forget about frozen drinks! We’ve included our frozen lemonade margaritas and our layered ombre lemonade drops here, but the list doesn’t stop there. Check out our top summer drinks next too.
Bee's Knees Cocktail
With only three essential ingredients—honey, lemon, and gin—a good Bee’s Knees perfectly highlights the complex flavors of the starring spirit. Though this Prohibition-era drink may have been created to mask less-than-ideal bathtub gin, it’s still popular today thanks to its refreshing simplicity.
Get the Bee's Knees Cocktail recipe.
Lemonade Mimosas
Meet the ultimate spring and summer brunch drink—feel free to use either regular lemonade or pink strawberry lemonade to make these extra special.
Get the Lemonade Mimosas recipe.
Copycat Olive Garden Limoncello Lemonade
We love a good copycat recipe, particularly one has tasty and pretty as this one. The recipe is very simple, but we do recommend that you use limoncello AND a citrus-infused vodka to really build lemon flavor as much as you can.
Classic Sidecar
This is one classic cocktail recipe you'll want to keep in your back pocket. The sugar rim isn't required, but we think it offsets the tart flavors in the drink nicely. If you find your Sidecar too sour, bump up the sweetness with a little more triple sec.
Get the Classic Sidecar recipe.
Spiked Arnold Palmer
Since Arnold Palmers gained popularity in the 1960s after the eponymous American golfer who was known to order this specialty drink, it’s now become a staple summertime beverage. In this recipe, the classic is made even better with a splash of vodka.
Get the Spiked Arnold Palmer recipe.
Limoncello
Homemade limoncello is sweet and strong with a lasting, delightful lemon flavor. It's the basis for one of our favorite cocktails—the lemon drop martini—and is perfect for gifting during the holidays. Hot tip for gifting: Make sure you’re working at least 1 week in advance to allow the liquor to take on the lemon flavor.
Get the Limoncello recipe.
Tom Collins
A Tom Collins is basically a spiked and sparkling lemonade, served in a Collins glass (ofc!). The classic garnish for this fizzy drink is a lemon wedge and a bright red maraschino cherry, but it’s time for an upgrade. Trust us, and go for a dark red cocktail cherry instead.
Get the Tom Collins recipe.
Blueberry Lemonade Margaritas
Turn your margarita into summer goals with this blueberry lemonade version. Have some leftover blueberry simple syrup? It tastes AMAZING in seltzer water, and is a great sweetener for iced tea. You can even stir it into yogurt or ice cream for a punch of blueberry flavor.
Get the Blueberry Lemonade Margaritas recipe.
Lemosas
The blueberry simple syrup in these is delicious and truly so simple to whip up. You're going to want to use it to sweeten all your cocktails (and iced teas maybe?).
Get the Lemosas recipe.
Long Island Iced Tea
Long Island iced teas are the ultimate cocktail mystery. How does this classic cocktail, with its combination of five alcohols, manage to taste just like a lemony sweet tea?! We may never know. What we are sure of is how worth it is to make your own sour mix from lemon, lime, and grapefruit.
Get the Long Island Iced Tea recipe.
French 75
Champagne is what makes this drink distinctively French (and totally worth the splurge), but a more affordable sparkling wine such as Prosecco or Cava are both sound options. Make sure to squeeze the lemon twist into your drink to add some of those floral lemon oils.
Get the French 75 recipe.
Layered Ombre Lemonade Drops
These take the idea behind classic faves like frozen margaritas and strawberry daiquiris to the next level with colorful, bright layers. They’re quick, simple, and best of all, only need 5 ingredients (plus fresh fruit garnishes, if you like) 😍.
Get the Layered Ombre Lemonade Drops recipe.
Long Island Iced Tea Jell-O Shots
After we made our Long Island Iced Tea pops, we knew we had to make a Jell-O shot version. Don't let their adorable appearance fool you—these little guys pack a PUNCH!
Lemonade Margaritas
If you want to use classic lemonade instead of pink lemonade for these, that's totally cool. Your margaritas will still take on a beautiful pink hue from the strawberries.
Get the Lemonade Margaritas recipe.
Aviation Cocktail
After crème de violette, the main ingredient here, was discontinued in the '60s, it was all but impossible to mix up a classic Aviation at home. Thankfully, it was brought back in the mid-aughts. Though it can still be tricky to find, fans of this floral cocktail know it's worth the search.
Get the Aviation Cocktail recipe
Lemon Drop Martini
Here, a classic martini gets a sweet upgrade with the addition of limoncello. It tastes just like your favorite sweet tart lemon candy, which is a very good thing.
Get the Lemon Drop Martini recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Daiquiri
Inspired by our love of lemon blueberry margs, this brightly colored daiquiri has major springtime vibes. Between the fruity sweetness of the berries and the bright, citrusy flavor, the rum tends to fade to the background, making these surprisingly drinkable despite the strength. (So please drink responsibly!).
Get the Lemon Blueberry Daiquiri recipe.
Lemon-Poppyseed Drop
Combining our love of sweet-tart lemon drop martinis and spring-y lemon poppyseed muffins, this cheery cocktail is the perfect balance of citrus and nutty poppy seed flavor.
Get the Lemon-Poppyseed Drop recipe.
Giggle Juice
This fruity drink is filled with wine, lemonade and vodka, which is pretty much the most delicious, irresistible drink combo. Get ready to be giggling with your friends all night long once you've had a few of these extra-sweet cocktails.
Get the Giggle Juice recipe.
