Blueberries and butterfly pea flower give this drink the blues while lemon gives it a little blush by making the pea flower more pink. The mint garnish provides an immediate aromatic freshness, followed by notes of juniper and then citrus. Blueberry sweetness and floral lavender sneak in at the end along with a crisp bubbly finish.
All recipes and photography by Cynthia Berman.
Lavender Blues Mocktail
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ounces NA gin alternative
- 2 ounces lavender butterfly pea flower syrup, below
- 2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Splash of non-alcoholic sparkling wine
- 8 blueberries
- Fresh mint
- Ice/lavender ice stick, below
INSTRUCTIONS
Muddle blueberries in a shaker.
Add gin, lavender butterfly pea flower syrup, lemon juice, and ice. Shake.
Slap the mint to release its aromas and sweep around the rim and inside of the glass.
Strain mocktail into a chilled coupe glass. Top with sparkling wine.
Add mint garnish and a lavender ice stick, optional.
Cynthia Recommends:
Free Spirits, The Spirit of Gin
The Spirit of Gin, a smooth, bright and floral non-alcoholic (less than 0.5% ABV) alternative to a dry Plymouth-style Gin, is made with all natural flavors and functional ingredients to awaken your taste buds, help elevate your mood and recharge your body. With the fresh nose of juniper, followed by notes of citrus, coriander and cardamom, The Spirit of Gin never fails to excite and refresh.
Butterfly pea flower ads a beautiful blue hue to any drink. When combined with citrus, like the lemon in the Lavender Blues Mocktail, the blueish-purple becomes a vibrant pink! The syrup below can be used in this mocktail and saved for other beverages as well.
Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup
For Lavender Blues Mocktail, above
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender, see below
- ½ teaspoon butterfly pea flower powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Muddle blueberries in a shaker.
Add gin, lavender butterfly pea flower syrup, lemon juice, and ice. Shake.
Slap the mint to release its aromas and sweep around the rim and inside of the glass.
Strain mocktail into a chilled coupe glass. Top with sparkling wine.
Add mint garnish and a lavender ice stick, optional.
Try it for yourself:
Fancy Ice!
Fancy ice…Cynthia is all about it! The easiest way to up your ice game is to add some of the key ingredients from your mocktail recipe to your ice for a bit more flavor and visual interest. Freezing garnishes into the ice makes it pretty and festive. Cynthia particularly favors larger ice cubes which take longer to melt so drinks don’t get watered down as quickly.
