We’ve still got a few weeks left of summer and what better way to spend an afternoon, than by mixing up a few cocktails to enjoy with friends. Today in our cocktail hour feature we’re obsessing over lavender, a common herb found in most gardens year round. It’s rich botanically floral aroma goes perfectly with gin, which is easily one of our favourite spirits on a hot summers day.
After deciding to make a small batch of lavender syrup, we quickly thought to mix it into a little lemony spritz to pack an extra refreshing punch. Not unlike a collins, this gin-based fizz perfectly balances the intense flavours of crisp lemon and sweet lavender to compliment each other with a bubbly finish. You can even choose to swap out the soda water for champagne to make it a spritz for an extra boozy kick.
Syrups may sounds like a time consuming thing to create, but the truth is, most of work comes in boiling and letting the mixture cool before bottling it. It can also be made ahead of time and lasts a couple weeks in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry about using all the precious liquid right away. Once you’ve made yourself your first batch of syrup, we think you’ll find its one of the best ingredients to have on hand at a summer cocktail party, and you’ll soon find yourself experimenting with new flavour parings.
Here’s how to make the cocktail as well as the syrup. Be sure check back in the next couple of weeks for another recipe using this delicious syrup!
LEMON LAVENDER FIZZ:
INGREDIENTS
2 oz Gin
1½ oz Lavender Syrup
¾ oz Lemon Juice
Dash of Cremé de Violette
Sliced Lemons
Soda Water
METHOD
Fill a collins glass with ice layering in lemon wheels. Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake until combined. We opted to add a dash of Cremé de Violette to the mixture for that kick of pastel purple colour to make the cocktail just a little bit prettier. Pour into collins glass, top with soda, and garnish with a sprig of fresh or dried lavender.
LAVENDER SYRUP:
Heat one cup of white sugar, 1 cup water, and 3-4 tablespoons of dried lavender in a small sauce pan. Bring mixture to a boil and let simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and let mixture cool for about an hour until cool. Pour mixture through a mesh strainer into a glass bottle and refrigerate.