So spring is here! The leaves are back, the dandelions are back, the dogwoods are flowering and the cardinals are chirping. And warmer weather will be back soon too. Fresh fruits and cool fruity drinks are all I have on my mind these days, and I love making fruity syrups this time of year. I’ve already shared a bunch on the blog, like this rhubarb syrup, lemon syrup, lychee syrup, pineapple syrup, blood orange syrup etc.!
To celebrate those brighter, longer days outside, and all the colours and the spirit of spring, I’ve got a beautiful Lavender & BlackberryΒ cocktailΒ for you today! Made with Lavender Syrup and Blackberry ice cubes, this drink can also be turned into a mocktail easily with sparkling grape juice.
The one thing I miss around this time of the year though is having my own garden. Since I moved out of my parents’ house, I never had an apartment with a garden. And that scenario hasn’t changed yet either. My grandfather was an avid gardener, a trait that was passed down to my father, and then to me. Unfortunately I haven’t had an opportunity yet to put that interest to good use since I don’t have my own garden, but let me tell you, I have big plans my friends, BIG plans for that day when I do finally get that opportunity! π
We used to have a beautiful garden in my parents’ old house in New Zealand, where my dad grew some lavender bushes right next to our patio. I used to love hanging outside on the patio because of that amazing lavender smell. There was one summer when I became obsessed with lavender and started making all kinds of dessert with it. I loved making lavender syrup and lavender infused milk which then resulted in gorgeous dairy-free lavender and strawberry creme brulee and adorable white chocolate lavender truffles that I gave away to all my friends and neighbours for Christmas! (Yep, Christmas in the summer can be pretty awesome too!).
That lavender obsession hasn’t deserted me yet and that’s why this delicious lavender sugar syrup came to be! I have previously made this with fresh lavender florets, but in this recipe I used culinary grade dried lavender. I let them steep in the sugar syrup overnight before straining the syrup. The floral fragrance and quality makes it a lovely addition to so many things. It’s so simple to make and so delicious and the uses for it are endless (more on that later!), but for now let me tell you about this incredible Lavender Syrup Blackberry Cocktail!
This truly is the perfect spring/summer cocktail for brunch and cocktail parties. Although to be honest with you, I wouldn’t mind having this any time of the year. So fellow southern hemisphereans (I’m fairly sure I just made up that word), do not despair!
A nifty trick I used for this drink –
Apart from freezing blackberry puree, I also froze some fresh blackberries, which were both used as “ice cubes” to keep this drink nice and cool. You can of course use regular ice cubes or crushed ice, but it waters down the drink as it melts and that’s not ideal now is it? Using fresh fruit as “ice cubes” on the other hand means – No diluted drinks, PLUS you get an extra burst of fruit flavour as the ice melts! How cool is that? (pun totally intended!).
The lavender syrup works beautifully in this cocktail, which is fruity, floral, fizzy and absolutely refreshing! The blackberry “ice” is really like a sorbet. I love the colour of this drink too, which gets darker as the blackberry ice melts away. I found that the blackberry ice melted really slowly (which may not necessarily be the case on a hot, sunny day outside though), so I even topped up my drink with more prosecco and lavender syrup for a second hit of bubbly! π What’s really neat is how each sip tastes slightly different as the blackberry ice continues to melt and intensify the fruity flavour more.
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Ingredients:
- 6 oz Blackberries for the Blackberry ice cubes
- 1 recipe for Lavender syrup recipe below
- ΒΌ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 bottle of Prosecco or sparkling grape juice for a non-alcoholic version
- Frozen blackberries to serve optional
Instructions:
- Puree the blackberries (in a small food processor or blender) and divide this into 8 -10 portions and freeze them in an ice cube tray, overnight. (optional - strain the puree to remove the seeds if you like that better).
- In 4 glasses (not flutes), place 2 blackberry ice cubes, 3 tbsp of lavender syrup, about 2 tsp of lemon juice and a few frozen blackberries (optional).
- Top each glass with prosecco. Serve with a stirrer.
Tips & Tricks
βThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.β
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Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ΒΎ cup of water
- 2 heaped tbsp 3g culinary grade dried lavender
Instructions:
- Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan.
- Heat while stirring on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 5 minutes, until it becomes syrupy.
- Let the syrup cool down with the lavender florets inside, for at least two hours or until it reaches room temperature (I leave mine overnight, this helps intensify the flavour).
- Strain the syrup into an airtight jar.
βThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.β
The effervescence you get from the prosecco and the fruity and tart blackberry flavour combine to give you an intense and refreshing flavour that will wake your taste buds right up. And then you have the deliciously lingering floral sweetness of the lavender syrup. The little bit of lemon juice makes all the flavours really pop. I have always loved a good bubbly, but the flavours in this cocktail take it to a whole new level!
Stay tuned for more refreshing fruity cocktails in the next few months! As it gets warmer and then hotter, nothing’s going to hit the spot quite like a beautiful cocktail like this! π
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Anna | ANNAdventure says
I LOVE the Lavender syrup idea!!! Our weather has been a bit crazy too here in Colorado! It was so nice and warm last month and now its all rainy. Last weekend it was so gloomy but the good news is that the mountains got lots of snow which means… snowboarding!!! π Can’t wait to try this drink!
Dini says
Thank you Anna! Love lavender too π oooh!! I really want to learn snowboarding! I tried to learn how to ski once, and just kept falling over!! I won’t give up though… next time I get to go to a snowy destination!! π Happy Snowboarding!!
Christine says
Hi there Friend, you are so creative! Thank you for joining in at the Friday Favorites Link Party! I hope to see you there this week:) Christine -Must Love Home
Dini says
Thank you so much Christine! I love joining the Friday Favorites party! π
Caroline says
This looks great, and such lovely flavors. I love that it can easily be adapted to a mocktail as well without losing the true essence of it as the other flavors are powerful enough. Yum!
Effie says
This cocktail sounds so refreshing, and I love all the tips and tricks you’ve included in your post! Happy FF#65 π
Kristen says
Wow. I Absolutely love what you did with the blackberries. I may do that for just seltzer water too.
Dini says
Thank you Kristen! I was contemplating whether to top it with Sprakling grape juice, seltzer or prosecco! I settled with prosecco. Since the predominant flavours are blackberry and lavender , I think it would taste just as wonderful with seltzer!! π
Loretta says
Gorgeous, refreshing and beautiful drink. Love all your little tricks, those videos are awesome too! π
Margy@lapetitecasserole says
This is outstanding Dini!
Christine says
You hit it out of the park with this one. LOVE the video! I’m doing a cocktail next week. Need to figure a way to incorporate video….
Dini says
Thank you Christine! Sometimes I think I might be overdoing the gifs… but I love them too much! π Cannot wait to see your cocktail recipe! I am a lover of alcohol related recipes… π
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
Dini, here you are again by seducing us with your gifs. This sounds refreshing and love the flavors. Happy FF and thanks for being with is for this week’s party. xx
Dini says
Thank you Jhuls! π It is definitely a light a refreshing drink… we kept having it through the weekend too! Thank you for hosting FF and Happy FF!! <3
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
Dini – I’ve never had lavender syrup, but I love the smell of lavender in the spring. This would be such a refreshing and light cocktail.
Dini says
I agree Erin! I love the smell of Lavender which is what got me into making the syrup years ago! I made it with lavender from our garden (which was pesticide free), but it’s important to get culinary grade lavender (grown without pesticide)… something I learnt later on! π
Kaila (GF Life 24/7) says
I think it’s awesome that gardening is passed down in your family, and when you get your own garden, I’m sure it will be spectacular. (And, I hope you post lots of pictures!) Thanks for sharing the refreshing cocktail recipe as well! Happy FF!
Dini says
Thank you Kaila! π I do love gardening, but I’m not sure how good I am at it yet!! π I’ve only ever helped before, so I keep wanting a garden everytime we moved… but one day I will! π Happy FF to you too Kaila! π
Oana @AdoreFoods says
Oh Dini, this is such a show stopper! Gorgeous looking and I can only imagine how great it tastes. Cannot wait to try it once that nice, warm wether gets here π
Dini says
Thank you Oana! Isn’t weather weird? It was so warm, and suddenly got cold! This drink is definitely better when the weather is warmer… π
Katie @ Recipe for Perfection says
How refreshing! I just got a bottle of blackberry lavender riesling syrup in the mail and I’m so intrigued by the blackberry/lavender combination. Lovely as always! π
Dini says
Thank you Katie π I’ve never had Riesling Syrup! I would love to get my hands on a Wine syrup… should definitely google it!
Berries and floral flavours go so well together and is my favourite Springtime combo, it’s hard to get it wrong! π
Katalina @ Peas and Peonies says
Love the flavor, and I love the photos, can you please tell me what software/app you use to create the videos?
Dini says
Hi Katalina!! Thank you so much! I created the gifs using Photoshop π Please feel free to email me if you want to know more!