Here's to Lemonade & Friday!

How good does this lavender lemonade look? (The original find was from Cup of Jo and the recipe is from Design Sponge.) A couple served this cocktail at their rehearsal dinner, which was held in a garden. Does it get any better than that? John and I are determined to make it as soon as possible. We've already bought the Lillet, which is delicious. (It also tastes amazing on its own, chilled, with a lemon wedge.)

One tip for making cocktails on a budget is to buy inexpensive vodka and then run it through a water filter. Our bartender friend told us about this trick, which, when filtered through a few times, can make cheap vodka taste as great as Grey Goose. If that news doesn't make your Friday, I don't know what will...

Here's the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Glass:

1.5oz Vodka (Ciroc seems appropriate but we used a local Pennsylvania vodka)

1.5oz Lillet Blanc

1oz Lavender Syrup (recipe below)

1oz Lemon Juice

2oz Chilled Soda Water

French Lavender Flower for Garnish

Pitcher (makes 4 glasses):

3/4 Cups Vodka

3/4 Cups Lillet Blanc

1/2 Cup Lavender Syrup

1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 Cup Chilled Soda Water for each glass

French Lavender Flower for Garnish

Methodology:

Lavender Syrup:

Add equal parts sugar and water to a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Add fresh organic French lavender to taste (or 1/2 cup dried food grade lavender for every 4 cups water/4 cups sugar) and boil for one minute over medium/high heat. Remove from heat and let steep for an hour.

Drink:

Mix first four ingredients with spoon, pour over ice, add chilled soda water and garnish with lavender flower (or lemon wedges if you can’t find fresh organic lavender).

Enjoy this and your weekend!