A Floral-Centric Summer Sour — Always And Always

Energy, the theme of this summer issue. At first, I wanted to create a cocktail that encapsulated and encouraged the expenditure of energy. Think: a jolted, caffeine-laced espresso martini or an invigorating, matcha-forward drink. Instead, I created a cocktail that focused upon the conservation of energy. The reverence. The resourcefulness. The reserve.

Claude Monet has been quoted as saying, “I must have flowers. Always and always.” He and I share the same affection for colorful and aromatic blooms. I plant flowers, create with flowers and even make a wine with the namesake of flowers. I honestly can’t think of another more pleasurable or inspiring subject. That brings us to this summer-ready, gin-based, flower-centric cocktail.

For this recipe, I went with a classic sour cocktail ratio: two parts spirits, one part sour, 3/4 parts sweet. There’s a little twist, however. If you make this base drink recipe, you can easily batch it, morph it into two other cocktails and utilize the florals that are in season in your region right now. My personal pro-tip? Grow or purchase botanicals when they’re in season. Preserve them, process them and file them away for when you have the energy and inspiration to create from them.

It’s all about energy conservation.

Photos by Jayme Henderson

ALWAYS AND ALWAYS

2 oz gin (I used mother-and-daughter gin, Silks, based out of Ireland)

1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

¾ oz lavender-honey simple syrup

1. In a mixing tin, combine the gin, lemon juice and lavender-honey simple syrup.

2. Add ice, shake well, taste for balance and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

3. Garnish with whatever edible flowers are blooming right now.

LAVENDER-HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup local honey

1 cup water

1 Tbsp dried culinary lavender (I used Stanton Farms’ culinary lavender)

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, water and lavender. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and remove from heat. Let steep until mixture reaches room temperature. Strain the solids, refrigerate and store up to one month.

This classic sour cocktail base can be easily transformed into a bubbly drink by adding sparkling wine. Simply split the recipe into two glasses and top with dry, sparkling wine. It can also be batched ahead of time for your next summer soirée. Prep the recipe as shown, refrigerate it and once you’re ready to serve, top individual servings with either seltzer or sparkling wine. It’s also incredible when made as directed, poured over ice and topped with a little Topo Chico.