When I started mulling over a lavender cocktail, I knew immediately that lavender’s flowery tones would pair well with an elderflower liqueur such as St-Germain and the botanical flavors of gin. From there, my mind jumped to a refreshing and summery gin fizz made with a lavender simple syrup and a dash of St-Germain.
A gin fizz is traditionally made with lemon, but this can overpower the delicate lavender syrup a little too much. A substitution of pink grapefruit juice brings out the lavender’s sweet aromatics perfectly. If you can find Lavender DRY Soda, do use that to top up the fizz. Otherwise, club soda or even sparkling water will work just fine. If you don’t want to use a raw egg white, your resulting fizz will still be delicious — just less light and frothy — and it will require less work with the shaker. We suggest omitting the egg white if you’re making a big batch of these, unless you fancy a workout.
Makes one 8-ounce cocktail | active time 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces gin (a local artisanal gin, full of fresh botanicals, is perfect for this)
3 ounces unsweetened pink grapefruit juice
1⁄2 ounce elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
1 ounce lavender simple syrup* (see recipe at right)
1 egg white (optional)
Ice
Top up to taste with Lavender DRY soda, club soda, or sparkling water
STEPS:
Combine the gin, pink grapefruit juice, elderflower liqueur, lavender simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. If you have a cocktail strainer with a metal spring, remove the spring and place it in the shaker. This will help whip up the egg white. Shake vigorously until very foamy, about two minutes, and then strain into a Collins class or similar, filled with ice. Top up with soda or sparkling water to taste. Garnish with fresh lavender.
*Lavender Simple Syrup
It’s possible to buy lavender simple syrup, but it’s also extremely easy to make your own.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
3-4 tender sprigs of lavender with flowers and leaves or 1 tablespoon dried lavender
STEPS:
In a small pan combine sugar, water, and lavender. Bring to the boil and simmer it gently until the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside to cool and so the lavender can infuse. When it is completely cool, strain to remove the lavender.
Extra syrup may be stored in a glass container in the fridge for up to a week.
The post Lavender, Elderflower, and Grapefruit Gin Fizz appeared first on Edible Seattle.