Behold: flower power! Approaching the peak of Spring calls for celebration - as everything does here at Salem & Binx! đ„
With the sunshine growing warmer and warmer, there's nothing like indulging in a crisp, cool cocktail. In honor of all things in bloom, why not add a floral twist to these boozy favorites?!
1. "Strawberry Camomile Paloma" by Half Baked Harvest
"...packed with fruity flavors, a little fizz and ok ok, maybe some tequila too..."
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Chamomile Honey Syrup:
3/4 water
1/3 cup honey
For the Drinks:
3 ounces fresh grapefruit juice (about half of 1 grapefruit2-4 tablespoons chamomile honey syrup depending on your taste2 ounces tequila omit to make a virgin version4 fresh strawberries slicedsparkling water for topping offcrushed ice
HOW TO MAKE IT
Chamomile Honey Syrup:
Combine water and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil, simmer 1 minute and remove from the heat. Add the tea bag, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes. Remove the tea bag and allow the syrup to cool completely. Store in the fridge.
For the Drinks:
Add the grapefruit juice, chamomile syrup, tequila and strawberries to a glass. Use a muddler (or even the end of a rolling pin), gently push the strawberries down until they release their juices and are lightly smashed. Add a handful of ice and then add sparkling water to top off. Give the drink a gentle stir. Taste and add more chamomile syrup if desired. Garnish with fresh chamomile flowers and strawberries if desired <---DO THIS... Drink.
2. "Borage and Pansy Cocktail" by Anthropologie Blog
" ... We believe the only thing lovelier than flowers in the garden is flowers in our cocktails..."
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
For the simple syrup:
1 œ cups sugar
1 cup water
Πcup borage
For the cocktail:
1 œ ounces gin
œ ounce borage simple syrup
3 slices cucumber
1 slice lemon
Soda water
œ ounce crƚme de violette
Borage and pansies, for garnish
HOW TO MAKE IT
Combine all ingredients for the syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until sugar is dissolved and lower heat. Cook another 10-15 minutes to allow borage to steep. Let cool and strain.Add gin, simple syrup, cucumber and lemon to the base of a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a glass filled with ice and top with a splash of soda water. Finish with crÆšme de violette, allowing it to settle at the bottom of the glass. Garnish with borage and pansy flowers to serve.
3. "Elderflower and Honey Whiskey Cocktail" by Broma Bakery
"... A cold toddy-like cocktail... "
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
(Makes 2 cocktails)
1 1/2 cups water
1 bag Aloha Sleep tea
2 teaspoons honey
2 ounces whiskey
1/2 ounce St. Germain
Squeeze of lemon juice
Edible flowers and lemon wedge, for garnish (optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT
1. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Steep 1 bag Aloha Sleep tea for 5 minutes, then remove tea bag and stir in honey. Allow to cool completely. In a rocks glass over ice, stir in 1 ounce whiskey and 1/4 ounce St. Germain. Pour in 2/3 cup tea and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Top with edible flowers and lemon wedge, if desired. Repeat with second glass.
4. "Bachelor's Button Martini" by Anthroplogie Blog
"Starring bachelorâs button, an edible bloom used in herbal teas, and garnished with a kiss of carnation..."
WHAT YOUâLL NEED
For the simple syrup:
1 œ cups sugar
1 cup water
ÂŒ cup bachelorâs button petals
For the cocktail:
2 ounces gin
1 œ ounces Lillet Blanc
ÂŒ ounce bachelorâs button simple syrup
1 ounce lemon juice
1 egg white
Bachelorâs button and carnation petals, for garnish
HOW TO MAKE IT
To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water and bachelorâs button petals in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until sugar has dissolved, then lower heat. Cook another 10-15 minutes to allow petals to steep; let cool and strain.After the syrup has cooled, add all cocktail ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until very foamy. Strain into glasses and garnish with carnation and bachelorâs button petals.
5. "Lavender Martini" By ProFlowers
"... As beautiful as it is relaxing..."
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
1 oz. crĂšme de violette
1 oz. gin1 oz. vodka
1/4 oz. Domaine de Canton
1/4 oz. St. Germaine elderflower liqueur
1 dash Scrappyâs Lavender Bitters
Lavender
HOW TO MAKE IT
Place all liquids into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well for 30 seconds and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with lavender sprigs.
6. "Marigold Cocktail" by Anthropologie Blog
"An invigorating French 75 with a marigold twist..."
WHAT YOUâLL NEED For the syrup:
1 cup water
1 Πcup sugar
3 tablespoons dried marigold leaves
For the tea:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon dried marigold leaves
For the cocktail:
1 ounce lemon juice
Ÿ ounce marigold syrup
2 sprigs thyme
4 ounces marigold tea
1 œ ounces gin
Champagne
HOW TO MAKE IT
Add all ingredients for the syrup to a small saucepan and gently bring to a boil. Reduce to a slow simmer and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, let cool and strain. Bring water for the tea to a boil and pour over the marigold leaves in a heat-safe container. Allow to steep for 10-12 minutes. Add lemon juice, marigold syrup and thyme to the bottom of a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add tea, gin and plenty of ice. Shake well. Strain into glass and top with a splash of champagne.
7. "Rosemary Flora Greyhound" by Free People Blog
"Imbued with last summerâs wildflowers, Flora gives off the aroma of lemon verbena, geranium and grapefruit, making it the perfect base for a crisp and refreshing greyhound cocktail..."
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Rosemary Simple Syrup
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed
1 cup sugar
1 cup filtered water
Rosemary Flora Greyhound
(Makes 1)
4 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz rosemary syrup
2 oz Tamworth Garden Flora Gin
Club soda
Ice
HOW TO MAKE IT
Rosemary Simple Syrup - Place rosemary sprigs in a resealable jar of bottle. In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar and water and heat on low the sugar is dissolved. Pour the sugar water over the rosemary sprigs and allow to cool.
Rosemary Flora Greyhound - Fill a small glass with ice. Add grapefruit juice, rosemary syrup, and Flora Gin. Top off with club soda and garnish with grapefruit and rosemary. Enjoy!
8. "Lavender and Lemon Sparkler" by Rose & Ivy
"... Perfect spring brunch cocktail..."
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
1 cup water 1 cup sugar Zest of 2 lemons Juice of 2 lemons Champagne, such as Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut
Edible lavender sprigs, for garnish Lemon peel, for garnishÂ
HOW TO MAKE IT
Combine sugar, water, lemon zest and lemon juice in a sauce pan over medium heat. Allow for sugars to dissolve. Allow to cool slightly. Store in an airtight con- tainer and refrigerate until ready to use.
To Prepare One Cocktail: Place 2 tablespoons of lemon simple syrup into a champagne glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with lemon peel and a spring of laven- der, if desired.
9. "Ofrenda Cocktail" by ProFlowers
"... Satisfy your inner mixologist..."
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
2 oz. EspolĂłn Tequila Reposado
1 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. orange Curaçao or Triple Sec
5oz. Light agave nectar
5 cups chopped cantaloupe
1/8 tsp. Chile de ĂĄrbol powderMum
HOW TO MAKE IT
Muddle cantaloupe, agave nectar, and Curaçao or Triple Sec in a shaker. Add ice and remaining ingredients, excluding garnish, and shake for at least 10 seconds. Double strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with the flower.
10. "Peppered Rose Cocktail" by Anthropologie Blog
"... Rose-infused, peppercorn-flecked cocktail..."
WHAT YOUâLL NEED
For the rose-infused vodka:
1 cup vodka
1 tablespoon dried rose petals
For the simple syrup:
1 œ cup sugar
1 cup water
Πcup pink peppercorns, crushed
For the cocktail:
2 ounces rose-infused vodka
2 ounces grapefruit juice
4 ounces tonic water
œ ounce pink peppercorn simple syrup
Fresh rose petals, for garnish
HOW TO MAKE IT To make the rose-infused vodka, combine vodka and dried rose petals in a jar and let sit overnight. Shake occasionally and strain before use.For the simple syrup, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until sugar is dissolved and lower heat. Cook another 10-15 minutes to allow pepper to steep; let cool and strain. To prepare the cocktail, pour the infused vodka, grapefruit juice, tonic water and peppercorn syrup into an ice-filled glass. Stir well, garnish with fresh rose petals and sip sweetly!
*For even more fun...
Don't be afraid to mix it up texture-wise:
Popsicles!
"Bellini Popsicles with Elder Flower" by Honestly Yum
Who doesn't love an icy popsicle on a warm day? Add some booze and edible flowers and it's a springtime delight!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
15 oz prosecco
5 oz simple syrup
5 oz lemon juice
2 large white peaches
3 dashes peach bitters edible flowers (for garnish, optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT
Chop the peaches, removing the pits, and add them to your blender. Puree until smooth and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Transfer 5 oz of peach puree to a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, prosecco, simple syrup, and bitters. Carefully add the prosecco, as it will foam aggressively. Stir to combine. Wash and dry the edible flowers and add them to the popsicle molds. I used violets. Pour the peach mixture into the popsicle molds. The flowers will float to the surface. Place the popsicle molds into the freezer for approximately 30 minutes or until partially frozen. At this point you can gently mix the popsicle to evenly distribute the flowers. This is a good time to add the popsicle sticks too. Place back into the freezer until frozen solid. Once frozen, release the popsicles by running them under warm water for a few seconds.
Jello Shots!
"Edible Flower Lemon Jello Shots" by Sugar & Cloth
An definite upgrade from your college days, these floral, and rather refreshing, jello shots will be the highlight of happy hour!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
(Makes 24 shot glasses)
4 envelopes gelatin (1 ounce)
4 Â large freshly squeezed lemons
2 1/2 Cups water
1 1/2 Cups sugar (or stevia for a low calorie version)
1 1/2 Cups vodka and 1/2 cup of Cointreau (only add if youâre making an alcoholic version, obviously. Otherwise replace with the equivalent amount of water)
Edible flowers for garnishing
HOW TO MAKE IT
Heat the gelatin, water, lemon juice, and sugar over the stove as you traditionally would for about 5-10 minutes or until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and add in the liquor at the very end or it will evaporate.Â
Pour the mixture into individual shot glasses and add a few edible flower petals to each glass just before placing into the refrigerator, and let it set overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.
Gummies!
"Violet Elderflower Gummies" by Baker's Brigade
Although this recipe does not include alcohol, these gummies are still infused with nature's finest elderflower essence, perfect for a floral spring treat!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
For Violet Tea: 1/2 cup lightly packed violet flowers
1/2 cup boiling water
For Gummies: 1/4 cup sugar
3 packets Knox brand gelatin
5 tablespoons violet tea
3 tablespoons elderflower liqueur St. Germaine or a generic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops rosewater
1 drop Americolor violet food dye
For Rolling: 1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon citric acid
HOW TO MAKE IT
For Violet Tea: Pour boiling water over your violet flowers. Cover and let steep overnight.Using some cheese cloth or a paper towel, strain the flowers out, squeezing out as much of the liquid as you can. You should have about 5 tablespoons.
For Gummies: Combine the sugar and gelatin in a medium saucepan. In a glass bowl or cup, combine the violet tea, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and rosewater. Stir the liquid into the gelatin mixture and let it set for about 5 minutes to soften.Over medium-low heat, stir constantly until the sugar and gelatin dissolve and the mixture just begins to steam. If you don't want to cook out the alcohol, use a candy thermometer and try to keep it under 90 degrees.If the color has faded, add a drop or two of food coloring until it's the desired color.Working quickly, use the dropper to fill each of the cavities in your molds. Keeping them flat, put them in the fridge for about 5 minutes then remove from molds.
For Rolling: Before serving, combine the sugar and citric acid in a small bowl. Toss about 10 gummies into the bowl at a time. Coat them completely then remove from the bowl with a slotted spoon, tapping off any excess sugar. If the coating dissolves before you're ready to serve them, you can toss them again!
Enjoy! đ„đżđ