Lavender 75
Courtesy Cheston Overman, lead bartender, Bookstore Bar & Café, Seattle
If the French 75, which is usually based on gin or Cognac, is your jam, here’s a kinder, gentler alternative. The floral lilt of lavender syrup may even remind of the botanicals found in some gins.
- ¾ ounce lavender syrup (recipe below)
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces dry sparkling wine
- Lemon twist (for garnish)
Combine lavender syrup and lemon juice in a Champagne flute. Top slowly with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon twist.
In small saucepan, mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 1 ounce dried lavender. Simmer and stir for 3–4 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool, and strain.
Kara Newman reviews spirits and writes about spirits and cocktail trends for Wine Enthusiast. She's the author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip. and NIGHTCAP: More than 40 Cocktails to Close Out Any Evening, which debuts in September 2018. Email: spirits@wineenthusiast.net