DIY Lavender Craft Cocktail Essentials:

If you know a mom who's more like mine (prefers Prince and a good craft cocktail to plants), try making her a Purple Rain this week. I've been wanting to play with cocktail making for a while and used this DIY Mother's Day Week as my excuse to have a night of at-home bartending with Mom. I'm sharing recipes for lavender bitters and lavender honey simple syrup, ingredients that will take you a long way in lavender cocktail adventures. Want something a little more mellow? Mixed with lemon juice and water, the simple syrup will make a tasty lavender lemonade. 

Lavender Honey Simple Syrup

Combine 2 parts dried lavender, 3 parts honey, and 3 parts hot water in a dish or bowl. Let seep for 30 minutes. Strain through  cheesecloth ​or fine strainer.

With this simple syrup, you're all set to make a Purple Rain. Get the recipe here.

Lavender Bitters

(Adapted from The Domestic Mixologist)

• 2 Tablespoons dried lavender
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• Zest of 1/2 an orange
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 4 cloves
• 4 ounces whisky
• Jar for infusing (or Sous-vide*)
• Cheesecloth

Mix all ingredients in your jar and seal and let steep for 2 weeks, and shake several times to remix. After 2 weeks, strain lavender bitters through cheesecloth or fine strainer. Store bitters in a jar or glass bottle with dropper (ideal for bitters). 

*Since I wanted to make bitters and cocktails the same night, I used a sous-vide water oven. For the sous-vide method, place all ingredients in a ziplock bag. Give a sous-vide water bath at 140F for 1 hour. Let cool and store in a jar or glass bottle with dropper. 

There are tons of ways to use these flowery bitters in craft cocktails. One new favorite is the Lavender Honey Sidecar.