Fir Tip Lemon Drop Martini

Who’s ready to celebrate fir tip season with a Fir Tip Lemon Drop Martini?! I am so excited about this forest-inspired cocktail. It’s bright, tart, and not too sweet.

If you love a classic lemon drop cocktail, you’re sure to love this spin on it. It’s refreshing and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, with a little hint of something special. I went all out to bring the flavor of the forest to this one. This fun cocktail uses both a fir tip vodka and a fir-infused simple syrup. Of course, it’s also got a lovely fir tip sugar rim to seal the deal.

A note on fir tips

There’s something about seeing those bright chartreuse conifer tips appear in the forest that brings me so much joy. Harvesting fir tips is something I do every spring. Nearly every year, I make both a fir tip vodka and a fir tip sugar to preserve their unique citrus-and-pine flavor.

This fir tip lemon drop recipe can actually be made with any type of edible conifer tips. The new growth of firs, spruce, hemlock, and pine are all edible and can be used interchangeably in all parts of this recipe. However, yew tips are considered poisonous. Know your trees before harvesting!

I almost always harvest Douglas fir tips because that’s what’s most abundant in my area. I recommend you take some time to learn about different types of conifer trees and how to identify them. 

Then, do a taste test! Flavor will vary between species and even among individual trees. You may get flavor notes of lemon, grapefruit, pine, resin, juniper, and/or bitter orange. Give the fir tips a little nibble while harvesting. That way, you can be sure to collect the tips off trees with a flavor that you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Foraging for wild edibles should always be done with great care. The information on this blog is provided for educational and inspirational purposes only. It is your responsibility to properly identify any wild plants before consuming them. Some wild plants are toxic or may closely resemble edible species. If you are uncertain about any plant, do not eat it. Always consult a trusted field guide, local expert, or professional forager before consuming wild foods. The author of this blog is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use or misuse of the information provided.

Making the fir tip lemon drop

Before you make this cocktail, you’ll want to have all your ingredients ready. For this lemon drop spinoff, I used fir tip vodka, fir tip sugar, and a fir tip simple syrup (recipe below in recipe card). All of these ingredients take extra time to prepare and are optional. See variations and substitutions below for more info.

First, make the fir tip syrup. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer this mixture for about five minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then add the fir tips, cover, and allow to infuse for at least 20 minutes. Strain out the fir tips and let the syrup cool completely before using.

Prepare the garnishes. Pour some fir tip sugar onto a small plate or bowl for lining the rim of the glasses. Have any other garnishes ready. I used a single fir tip for a garnish, but you could also use lemon peel or thin slices of lemon. 

Juice the lemons. Extract as much juice as possible from fresh lemons.

Line the rims. Rub the cut side of a lemon along the rims of your glasses to moisten them. Then, turn the glass upside down and spin it in the fir tip sugar until the sugar adheres all the way around the glass rim.

Shake it up! Add fir tip vodka, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, and fir tip syrup to a cocktail shaker (or a jar with a lid) with plenty of ice. Shake it thoroughly until the shaker feels super cold to the touch. Strain into prepared coupe glasses.

Garnish the drinks. Lastly, garnish your beautiful Fir Tip Lemon Drops with fresh fir tips and/or lemon.

Variations & substitutions

It’s up to you how much to infuse this cocktail recipe with the flavor of fir tips. All of the ingredients that contain conifer tips are optional, but provide that extra bit of fir flavor. Of course, you should use at least one of these ingredients so that your Fir Tip Lemon Drop actually tastes like fir tips.

Here’s how you can swap out any of these ingredients to simplify this recipe:

Fir Tip Vodka: If you don’t have time to make the infused vodka, use any plain, good-quality vodka.

Fir Tip Sugar: No fir tip sugar? Make a lemon sugar rim instead by blending together sugar with a little fresh lemon zest.

Fir Tip Syrup: You could use any simple syrup for this recipe, or even use honey instead.

If you try this special martini, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a rating and comment below!