Approximately 10 years ago we visited family in Eagle, Idaho, and they took us to a cool eatery called Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery. We had a drink there that night that we could not get out of our minds. And no, that’s not code for “we had too many.” Let me explain.
Have you ever had lemon meringue pie? It’s tart, yet sweet and the meringue gives it a light, creamy finish. Now imagine if you put that pie in a martini glass. Are you with me now? Can you see how brilliant this is going to be? The Lemon Meringue Pie Martini at Bardenay’s tasted exactly like PIE. It was beyond delicious.
Bardenay’s was too far to go for regular drinks (don’t think I didn’t consider it, but Minnesota was a bit far to commute). So, we tried to recreate it. Didn’t work. We tried ordering this drink at other restaurants and the bartenders always wanted to make us a Lemon Drop. Don’t get me wrong, Lemon Drops are delicious, but not the same as Lemon Meringue Pie Martinis.
My husband dedicated all of his free time to this quest. Kidding. He did keep looking into the issue though and finally heard whispering of a magical concoction called whipped vodka. That’s basically the secret to this recipe. Without it, you won’t have anything near as good. Trust me.
Put this drink on your next Happy Hour menu. You’ll be thanking me! Cheers!
Here’s the recipe:
Lemon Meringue Pie Martini
(PLEASE NOTE: Recipe is in PARTS. Since you have the ratios, it is easily adaptable to different measurements (shots, cups, etc.). For instance, if you use the recipe, below, in “shots” then you’d do 1/2 a shot of limoncello, 1.5 shots of whipped vodka, etc. This would result in approximately 1 drink.)
1/2 part limoncello
1.5 parts whipped vodka
1.25 parts fresh lemon juice
1.5 parts simple syrup
1.5 parts half & half
ice (for shaking)
Optional: graham cracker crumbs for rimming the glass
Combine all ingredients in a martini shaker
This was an oldie, but a goodie! I should probably update this post with better photos! EEK! Here are some other posts you might enjoy too.
Chocolate Peppermint Schnapps Cake
Would I Make it Again: Chicken Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce
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