Lemon Drop

A vodka with added citrus, often lemon, flavoring. You can make it yourself! It's easy and hard to screw-up, cut 3-4 lemons into wedges or slices and add them to 2 cups of vodka in a sealable glass jar. Let steep for 1-2 weeks depending on strength desired (taste along the way). Remove lemons when you think it's good to go, now make a Cosmopolitan!

Original Curaçao triple sec, this is an orange flavoured liqueur made from a neutral sugar spirit along with the dried peels of bitter and/or sweet oranges. You can make it yourself! Here is a recipe from Serious Eats: Combine 1/4 cup orange zest (without pith), with 1 cup brandy, and 1 cup vodka in a sealable glass container. Let steep for 19 days. On day 20, add 4 whole cloves, then let steep from an additional day. Bring 2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cup water to boil until sugar dissolves. Strain the alcoholic mixture through a cheesecloth. Add the syrup, stir to combine then seal. Let rest for 1 more day and enjoy!

The most common fruit juice used in cocktails. This citrus juice is about 6% acid; pure citric acid. Lemon juice should be used the day it is squeezed, some like it freshly squeezed and others like it a few hours old.

A yellow citrus fruit. The peel is often used as a garnish while the juice incorporated into the drink for a tart flavor profile (citric acid).

Granulated sugar is a sucrose formed with glucose and fructose join by covalent bonding. Sugar is soluble in water, increasing the surface area (smaller grain size) or heating the water, dissolves sugar faster. Some cocktails use sugar directly but more use it indirectly in syrups/liqueurs.