The Lemon Lavender

One culinary trend I have eagerly gone aboard the foodie wagon for is the combination of lemon and lavender.  You will probably see multiple recipes featuring culinary lavender on this blog, not only because it adds a nuanced elegance and special something to a lot of recipes, but also because I bought what I think is a lifetime supply at my local specialty food store.  If you don't have a gourmet food store near you, you can easily find culinary lavender on Amazon, or another online retailer.

The "Lemon Lavender" is essentially a lavender lemonade spiked with gin.  It's super simple and a really delicious, light cocktail perfect for summer.  If you're from Southern California, you know that even though it's technically fall, these past couple of weeks have felt more like summer than July and August did.

Ingredients

1 shot gin (1 jigger, or 3 tbsp if you want to be exact)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp lemon lavender syrup

Sprig of culinary lavender for garnish

Lavender Simple Syrup:

3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups water

1 tbsp dried lavender buds

Combine sugar, water, and lavender buds in small sauce pan placed over medium heat.  Allow to come to boil.  Simmer for two minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour syrup in a jar or heat safe container and allow to cool before using.