The end of the year is always a good time to share delicious and reliable recipes, especially during peak hosting season. And we love to hear about the recipes readers make on repeat year after year (the positive reviews and 5-star ratings also help!). As we start planning for New Year’s Eve festivities and New Year’s Day get-togethers, it was fun to see a simple and refreshing 3-ingredient cocktail take a top spot in 2024. The best part about this fizzy, salty, sour drink? It’s a classic.
What Was The Most Shared Cocktail of 2024
The Chilton, which we shared on Instagram back in April, became an instant hit with over 3,000 shares and 2,300 saves.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
What Makes The Chilton So Special
- The recipe: For starters, this recipe is easy and made with only three ingredients: vodka, lemon juice, and soda water.
- The story: While people everywhere have been enjoying the Chilton, the cocktail has roots in the Lone Star State. If you’ve spent any time in Lubbock, Texas, the Chilton is likely already familiar to you. According to local legend, a bartender at the Lubbock Country Club first made the beverage with the help of a thirsty patron named Dr. Chilton.
- The praise: Fans say this recipe is similar to the ever-so-popular Ranch Water, another iconic Texas beverage.
- The shares: It was an instant hit the minute we published and posted this recipe.
How The Chilton Is Different From Vodka Soda
There were a few skeptics in our Instagram comments questioning how the Chilton is different from a vodka soda. It’s a valid question. What sets the Chilton apart is the amount of lemon juice (our recipe calls for 2 ounces) and the salted glass rim. One reviewer even noted that you’ll want “a lot of lemon juice so the drink looks cloudy.”
What Reviewers Are Saying
The many 5-star reviews raved that this cocktail was “so light and refreshing!”:
“Tastes just as good in San Antonio as it does in Lubbock. Salting the rim is just gilding the lily. A little ice, plain-old-plain UNFLAVORED vodka, juice half a lemon (there’s your flavor, right there), seltzer topper, you’re good to go.”
“It us a drink I used to have many years ago going to Lubbock. I’ve made it at home and recently spent time in Lubbock at the Overton Hotel. They made one of the best I’ve had. If you ever get to Lubbock make sure you have one!”
“We’ve been drinking these for decades. It’s called an adult lemonade.”
“I buy lemons in bulk for this drink specifically.”
It’s So Good, There Was Even A Song About It
The Panhandlers, a group of four singer-songwriters from West Texas, even wrote about this song. Here’s a popular verse that many of our readers mentioned in the comments:
“Yeah, when life gives you lemons |
Make you a Chilton”
