I don’t have a green thumb. But one year, I tried my hand at planting herbs on my roof. They all lived—it was a miracle! What I hadn’t planned on were the pretty flowers they sprouted in late spring and summer. Turns out, they’re also yummy. Just about all herb flowers are edible, and one of the most fragrant and delicious is lavender. We are definitely in a cocktail craze these days (it probably has something to do with the state of our country), so use the following recipes to add a floral touch to your boozy beverages.
Lavender Simple Syrup
Simple syrup lives up to its name: just mix equal amounts sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, throw in a handful of lavender flowers (make sure to use culinary lavender), and stir until the sugar dissolves. Simmer a few minutes, then turn the heat off. Let sit for an hour and strain the flowers out. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a month.
Electric Lemonade
Add the lavender syrup (to taste) to your favorite lemonade recipe. Make it electric by pouring it over ice in a tall glass, adding vodka (amount to your liking), and topping with ginger ale. Garnish with a lavender flower.
Awesome Blossom Sugar
Add a touch of class to a mocktail or cocktail with some petal-icious sugar around the rim. Mix a handful of chopped edible flowers with a coffee cup of sugar and let sit for a week to 10 days so the sugar absorbs the flavor. Try pairing red sangria with rose petal sugar, ginger margaritas with rosemary flower sugar, or mojitos with pineapple sage flower sugar. To crust, rub a wedge of lime around the rim of each glass, press glass into flower sugar, and fill with your favorite libation.
By Chef Rossi
Photographed by Julia Stotz
Foods and props styled by Caroline Hwang
This article originally appeared in the April/May 2018 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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