5 Pretty Lavender Cocktails to Try Now

From Spritzes to Sours, these floral recipes charm without feeling like you’re sipping a sachet.

Lavender is evocative, romantic, calming. Just one whiff can transport you to a sun-drenched field in Provence awash in purple blooms, or usher in that much-needed relaxation you crave after a stressful post-work commute. But the blossom can also be a bit polarizing, with detractors deeming it overtly, unabashedly floral to the point of being soapy. For those of us in the former camp, it’s a heady ingredient not only to sniff or slather onto our skin, but to sip. (I’m a lifelong lavender lover who got inked in Paris last year with a sprig on my left forearm.)

This season, the ubiquitous French fleur is popping up in garden-in-a-glass cocktails via infused syrups, bitters, liqueurs and mixers. It adores coupling up with citrus, especially lemon, and easily mingles with gin’s botanicals. (If you’re not a fan of the juniper spirit, vodka is a suitable stand-in.) Either way, with lavender, restraint is key. While a touch enchants, overdo it and you’re suddenly in potpourri territory. These cocktails dial up the fragrance just enough to tickle the senses without overpowering the glass.

Golden Hour Spritz

Recipe courtesy of Raquel Tavares, Founder, Paramour Lavender-Yuzu Apéritif Liqueur

This low ABV libation was inspired by the soft glow of sunlight during the eponymous late afternoon hour, which signals the ritual of winding down for the evening. It uses a delicate lavender-yuzu liqueur that leans into that soothing, relaxing aesthetic. “Lavender suggests calm, sophistication and an intentional drinking experience,” Tavares says. “It aligns beautifully with the mindful drinking movement, offering flavor complexity without the need for high-proof spirits.”

2 oz. Paramour Lavender-Yuzu apéritif liqueur

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

¼ oz. fresh lime juice

¼-½ oz. simple syrup (optional, to taste)

2 oz. chilled sparkling wine

Edible flowers and a lemon wheel, for garnish

Fill a balloon glass with ice. Add the liqueur, juices and simple syrup (if using), and stir to combine. Top with sparkling water and garnish with the edible flowers and lemon wheel placed on the rim of the glass.

Mama Needs a Break

Recipe courtesy of Susie Hyland (Bartender) and Marquel Lewis (Assistant General Manager), 801 Chophouse, Tysons Corner, Virginia

An amazing cup of lavender-infused Earl Grey stirred tea lover Hyland to concoct this gin- and tea-based tipple. Though the original version called for egg whites, Lewis swapped them with a vegan cocktail foamer to make it more inclusive—and to avoid using the currently pricy ingredient. The sweet and floral syrup rounds out the tea’s tannins and cozies up to the gin botanicals. If you’re curious about playing around with the distinctive flavor of lavender behind the bar, the duo suggests starting with subbing an infused syrup into a Bee’s Knees or Paloma.

2 oz. Earl Grey-infused gin (recipe below)

¾ oz. fresh lemon juice

¾ oz. honey-lavender syrup (recipe below)

3 dashes Fee Brothers Fee Foam

Edible flowers or lemon twist, for garnish

Add the first four ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake without ice to emulsify the foam. Add ice and shake again until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the edible flowers or lemon twist.

For the Earl Grey-infused gin:

Add 3 Earl Grey tea bags to a bottle of Ford’s Gin for several days, shaking occasionally. Remove tea bags before using.

For the honey-lavender syrup:

Heat ½ cup water in a small saucepan to a simmer. Add ½ cup honey and 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender and stir until honey is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let steep for 90 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve, and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Primavera Fiori

Recipe courtesy of Anne Curro, Assistant General Manager, Ella’s by Christian Petroni, Nashville, TN

With an Italian name that translates to “spring flower,” this cocktail replicates the vibe on a gorgeous spring day, Curro says, with subtle tones from chamomile along with earthier ones from sage. And the mere few drops of lavender bitters belies their floral impact. “Lavender is very versatile and can go great in so many different spirits; just a little can go a long way and really stand out in any cocktail,” says Curro.

2 oz. gin

1 oz. chamomile-sage simple syrup (see Note)

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

½ oz. honey syrup (1:1 ratio of honey to hot water)

2 dashes lavender bitters (Scrappy’s Bitters, Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., etc.)

Lavender flower, for garnish

Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled Coupe, and garnish with a lavender flower.

For the chamomile-sage simple syrup:

Bring 1 cup of water to a simmer, add 1 chamomile tea bag and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until the tea color starts to come through. Add 4 sage leaves and ¾ cup of sugar and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Double strain and let cool. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to a week.

The Bubble Bath

Recipe courtesy of Suzy Critchlow, Beverage Director, The Popal Group, Washington, D.C.

A relaxing, restorative soak in a lavender-scented, bubble-filled tub inspired Critchlow to create this cocktail, which picks up savory salinity from fino sherry and a salt-based tincture along with flavors of bitter rhubarb and gentian from Gran Classico. Lavender-honey syrup rounds it out and lends floral sweetness. “Lavender’s flavor tends to work best with either lighter spirits like gin or Tequila where it can be the star of the show, or those with fruit-forward characteristics like Cognac,” Critchlow believes. “I think it’s a flavor that’s here to stay.”

1 oz. gin

1 oz. fino sherry

¾ oz lemon juice

½ oz. lavender honey syrup (see Note)

¼ oz. Gran Classico Bitter

2 dashes orange bitters

3 drops saline tincture (1:6 ratio water to salt)

2 oz. chilled Champagne

Lavender sprig, for garnish

Add the first seven ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled flute or coupe, top with Champagne and garnish with the lavender sprig

For the lavender-honey syrup:

Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, add 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried culinary lavender, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain out solids, stir in ½ cup of honey to incorporate. Let cool and store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Botanical Spritz

Recipe courtesy of Ehsan Mackani, Director of Beverage & Fine Dining, InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, Los Angeles, CA

Lavender is at the heart of this effervescent, easygoing elixir, which at its essence is a French 75 riff where a few drops of a saline solution brighten and balance the flavors. “Lavender feels elegant and transportive, and is a standout seasonal ingredient that instantly adds polish and thoughtfulness to any drink,” Mackani says. “Syrups are the best way to control intensity and flavor—you get all the floral depth without the bitterness or risk of overuse.”

1 oz. London Dry Gin

¾ oz. lavender syrup (see Note)

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

3 oz. chilled Prosecco

4 drops saline solution (1:6 water to salt)

Lavender sprig of lemon twist, for garnish

Add the first three ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well chilled. Strain into a stemmed wine glass over fresh ice, top with chilled Prosecco and stir gently. Garnish as desired.

For the lavender syrup:

Simmer 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and steep for 15 minutes. Strain out solids, cool and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

5 Pretty Lavender Cocktails to Try Now

Golden Hour Spritz

Mama Needs a Break

Primavera Fiori

The Bubble Bath

Botanical Spritz

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