Make a Lemon Drop Cocktail With an Almost-Empty Jam Jar

Jam is a perfect cocktail ingredient; it gives your drink a nice fruity flavor, along with a silkier, rounder texture that you don’t get with fruit juice. But the jam jar cocktail isn’t just delicious, it’s a smart no-waste way to imbibe. Rather than scrape the last sticky bits off the sides of your jam jar—or rinse them down the drain—you can use the jar as a cocktail shaker to create a shockingly elegant beverage.

By shaking cocktail ingredients inside an almost-empty jam jar, you infuse your drink with the flavor of your favorite jam, while ensuring nothing goes to waste. There’s no need for a stirring glass or dedicated cocktail shaker—it’s all built right in the jar. Just add your booze, along with a little fresh lemon juice and some ice, then shake hard before straining into a chilled coupe (or Nick & Nora glass).

You can make as many jam jar cocktails as there are flavors of jam, but this week we’re making the Jam Jar Lemon Drop, courtesy of our editorial director (and cocktail aficionado) J.M. Hirsch. It’s tart and sweet, with a noticeable creamy note, almost like lemon meringue pie.

Find the recipe below, and watch J.M. make it on Instagram.

Jam Jar Lemon Drop

To make it, you will need:

• 1 nearly empty jar of lemon curd, with 1-2 tablespoons lemon curd remaining
• 2 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1/4-1/2 ounce orange liqueur
• 1/4 ounce lemon juice
• Pinch kosher salt
• 2 scoops of ice
• Agave or simple syrup to taste (optional)

Add everything but the ice to the jam jar and shake vigorously.

Add ice and shake until well chilled. Taste and adjust with agave or simple syrup if needed. Strain into a chilled coupe using the lid of the jam jar.

Photo credit: Claire Lower

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Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.