How-To Elevate Your Cocktails with Edible Flowers!

Have you been to a wedding or an event that offered a signature cocktail?  It’s a staple offering for many venues and caterers now, custom blending a beverage that showcases the happy couple’s personalities, speaks volumes about the business’ brand or enhances the theme of the event. 

You can now bring this trend home and impress your guests by incorporating fresh flowers into your mocktails and cocktails!  Here’s some tips for delicious, floral-infused beverages, plus two recipes so you can practice your mixing skills! 

BEST EDIBLE FLOWERS FOR YOUR DRINKS:

Roses!  Roses add a slightly sweet flavor and a delicate aroma that’s not overpowering.  Roses work well with bourbon, vodka and gin.  

Lavender, fresh or dried, is a herb casting an earthy vibe with a hint of fruit, smoke and wood.  Lavender compliments gin or vodka and pairs well with lemon and honey!

Pansies are one the most popular edible flowers!  Their distinct sweet taste and bold colors make them a lively choice and their fragrance blends well with spirited drinks.

Carnations, with their ruffled petals, add a touch of femininity to the look of the beverage while adding a slight peppery flavor.  

Orchids are often added to frozen drinks and found in Asian cuisine thanks to their cooling and curing medicinal effects.  For centuries they have been used to cure a headaches and aid in proper digestion.  

AVOID THESE BLOOMS: 

All flowers are beautiful, but sometimes beauty can be deadly.  The following blooms are poisonous and should NOT touch anything we consume:

--Azalea

--Daffodills

--Delphinium

--Lily of the Valley

--Rhododendron

--Hyacinth

--Wisteria

Now, let’s get mixing!  Here’s two flower-infused cocktails you can easily create to WOW your guests!

LAVENDER, ROSEWATER AND HIBISCUS SPRITZ COCKTAIL

On her wedding and lifestyle blog, A Fabulous Fete, Lauren Saylor crafts a delightful cocktail infused with elderflower liqueur, rosewater, lavender and hibiscus tea. 

We think this drink will be a delicious hit at your holiday or galentine’s get-together!  This recipe makes four servings. 

You’ll Need:

2 tablespoons  dried culinary lavender

1 cup voda

2 oz elderflower liquer

2 lemons

1 bottle prosecco

4 hibiscus tea bags

1 cup sugar

1 cup hot water

15-20 drops rosewater

1 egg white

Edible flowers for garnish, rose petals work great! 

Now, Make It:

First, infuse the vodka with the lavender by combining the vodka and lavender together and allow to sit for a minimum of three hours.  Then remove the lavender buds by straining the vodka.  Set the vodka aside. 

Next, add the tea bags, sugar and hot water to a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Allow to cool.  Then remove the tea bags and place the mixture in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator. 

Using your favorite glasses, fill about ¾ of the way with the prosecco.  In a cocktail shaker, add 8 ounces of the vodka you created, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, 2 ounces of the hibiscus syrup you made, the rosewater, one egg white and a 2-3 ice cubes.  Shake your heart out (not literally of course) until the ice cubes melt completely. 

Last, pour your newly created beverage into your glasses and top with a splash of sparkling wine and garnish with edible flowers! 

The Bees Knees 

HonestlyYum is a blog with fresh ideas for food and entertaining,  and shares light-hearted stories, such as Karen’s recent honeymoon adventure.  You’ll also find this delicious recipe for a lavender and honey inspired drink that is certain to make you the  “Bee’s Knees!”  

You’ll Need:

2 oz gin

¾ oz lavender honey syrup (instructions below)

1 oz lemon juice

2 teaspoons lavender, fresh or dried

¼ cup honey

1/8 cup hot water

Now, Make It:

First, the lavender honey syrup!  Combine the hot water and honey, string until well mixed.  Stir in the lavender.  Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes, then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lavender.  Set aside. 

Next, combine all the ingredients, including your newly concocted syrup into a cocktail shaker and shake, shake shake!!  Strain it twice before pouring into your glass and garnish with a sprig of lavender. 

What’s your favorite edible flower, and how have you used it with a beverage?  Share your recipes and thoughts on floral cocktails in the comments below! 

PHOTO CREDITS:  Pinterest l Lauren Saylors l HonestlyYUM