Perfect Summer Cocktail: Lavender Martini

During our girlfriends' getaway to Charleston a few weeks back, we discovered something delicious:

the lavender martini

Typically that isn't something I'd order, let alone drink, but since it came highly recommended we decided to try it out.  Which led us here to Cypress, located just a few steps away from our hotel.

We decided to order one for a taste.  Four girls, one martini.

Yeah, that lasted about 5 seconds.  After quickly ordering three more we were true believers in the power of the lavender martini!  And maybe we ordered a few more, but I'll never tell.

:: slurp ::

What did it taste like?  Crisp lemon, fresh vanilla, with a teeny tiny almost-too-small-to-notice hint of lavender.

The next day our first order of business was to hunt down the recipe.  Once home, the second order of business was to find lavender syrup.  You can make your own, but my lavender plant still looks like this and is nowhere near ready for drinking:

I found lavender simple syrup on Amazon (is there anything you can't get there?) but specialty and/or gourmet stores in your area might carry it.  Yes, it's a bit pricey when you add in the shipping but I'm counting on the bottle to last the entire summer so it's totally worth it for a summer-long signature cocktail.

Plus I'm growing my own mint for mojitos, so I'm saving money there, right?

Back to the martini.  Here's the recipe, it's very very easy!

•  1  1/2 ounces vanilla flavored vodka
•  1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
•  1/4 ounce lavender syrup (sometimes I add a little more, to boost the flavor a bit)

Fill your cocktail shaker with ice.  Add the vodka, lemon juice, and syrup:

Shake it all up, strain into martini glass, garnish with a lemon swirl or sprig of lavender, and voila!



My secret is I've been using Walmart brand lemon juice when I'm out of lemons.  YES, fresh is indeed best but this is a fine substitute in a pinch.

So, who's up for a party?  Meet you on the deck at 6!

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