Lavender
A floral herb used to infuse cocktails with a delicate, perfumed note.
Origin
The Mediterranean, cultivated since antiquity for its fragrance and used in cooking, medicine, and perfumery; Provence, France, remains its most iconic modern growing region.
History
Lavender has been cultivated across the Mediterranean since ancient Greek and Roman times, prized for its fragrance and used in bathing, medicine, and later French Provencal cooking, especially in the herbes de Provence blend. Its move into cocktails is a fairly recent development, part of the broader 2000s-2010s trend toward floral, herb-garden-inspired drinks, usually appearing as an infused syrup or a fresh sprig garnish rather than muddled directly.
Flavor profile
Intensely floral and slightly sweet, with a distinct perfumed quality that can easily overpower a drink if overused.
Tasting notes
A little goes a long way: lavender's strong floral aroma reads almost like perfume in excess, so it's typically infused gently into a syrup rather than muddled fresh, pairing especially well with gin, honey, and citrus.
Substitutes
- Lavender syrup, for a controlled, pre-dosed dose of the same flavor.
- Elderflower liqueur or cordial, for a different but comparably delicate floral note.
- A few drops of rosewater, for a related but distinctly different floral character.
Common cocktails