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This Bourbon Sour with Lavender is a sweet spring cocktail! Mix one up in no time with lavender simple syrup, lemon juice (or Meyer lemon juice), and bourbon.
The bourbon for this recipe was provided by Bulleit.
Have you tried mixing your own cocktails at home?
If you, like me, have stared in amazement (and total confusion) at overwhelming walls of cocktail mixers and expensive bottles with unfamiliar names, then it’s possible that you, like me, have shrugged your shoulders, grabbed a reliable and familiar bottle of wine, and headed home.
And that, my friends, is totally okay.
If you’d like to practice your über-chic bartender moves at home, however, keep reading!
For this incredibly easy cocktail, we’re going to ignore those bottles of brightly (and artificially) colored drink additives and mixers, and walk right past the pre-made simple syrups.
This Lavender Lemon Bourbon Sour is a spring cocktail at its finest– and is incredibly easy to prepare.
Gathering Ingredients
To make a bourbon sour, you’ll need to pick up some bourbon!
Did you figure that out already?
I like using bourbon in my cocktails, because unlike some other types of whiskey, bourbon legally can’t contain any added artificial flavors or sugar, giving me more control over what’s in my drink.
For this cocktail, I used bourbon from Bulleit Frontier Whiskey. Their bourbon has a ‘high rye ratio,’ which makes it one of the spicier (and fabulously delicious) bourbons out there!
I like that Bulleit’s bourbon has flavor, but the flavor does not overwhelm this cocktail. Instead, it shines with the lemon, and makes the drink even more delicious!
Once you’ve got the bourbon, you’ll need dried lavender petals.
You should be able to find these with the spices and herbs in your grocery store (or grow your own lavender and dry it!). Finally, you’ll need a lemon and some sugar.
Making a Bourbon Sour with Lavender
First, you’re going to make a lavender simple syrup.
Add the lavender petals, sugar, and water to a small pot and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes, and then set it aside to cool. Next, strain the syrup through a mesh sieve into a container.
Keep in mind that this makes a lot more syrup than you’re likely to use at once. Store the extra syrup in an airtight container in the fridge.
Finally, pour a little syrup, some bourbon, lemon juice, and ice into a cocktail shaker. Shake your drink to chill it, and then strain it into two chilled glasses and enjoy!
Can I Make This Drink for a Crowd?
Yes! To make a pitcher of this cocktail, simply multiply the ingredients by the amount of people you’d like to serve.
Mix the bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup together, and then add it to the cocktail shaker with ice in small batches when you’re ready to serve.
Want more ways to use your LAVENDER SIMPLE SYRUP? Try these:
Want more BOURBON COCKTAILS? Try these:
Bourbon Sour with Lavender
Ingredients
Lavender Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried lavender petals, culinary grade
Lavender Lemon Bourbon Sour:
- ½ lemon (or Meyer Lemon), juiced
- 2 tablespoons lavender simple syrup
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ice, for cocktail shaker
- Optional Garnish: lemon slice
Instructions
Lavender Simple Syrup:
- Make simple syrup by adding sugar, lavender and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 5 minutes. Pour syrup through a mesh sieve into a measuring cup (or other spouted container), and allow it to cool.
Lavender Lemon Bourbon Sour:
- Chill an old-fashioned cocktail glass or a small martini glass. Add lemon juice, syrup, and bourbon to a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake. Strain cocktail out of strainer into the glass. Serve with a lemon slice (optional).
Earthy and citrus drinks are completely my style, this looks so delicious! I love the idea of bourbon and lemon together, yum!
I love a great cocktail. This one looks super with the fragrant mix of lavender and lemon
OMG I love this! I even make my own lavender syrup, I can’t wait to try this 🙂
This looks so refreshing and perfect for spring!
I love lemon and this drink doesn’t look to be too sweet either. I will have to give this one a try !
I love “sour” drinks and this sounds perfect!
Me too! And yup- no flavored bourbon ever- unless you add the flavor at home!
Lavender is one of those flavors I would have never guessed goes well with bourbon! I always create my own simple syrups and cocktail flavors too. I recently bought some for a drink I was experimenting with and it left a horribly bad after taste so never again!
I’m glad you make your own too!!! It’s so easy, and you don’t have to worry about weird chemicals! And yessss this is awesome with Bourbon. (And prob gin too- I need to try that!)
Thanks girl! Spring in a glass is EXACTLY what I was going for 😉
I had already made lavender simple syrup for a friend who loves lavender. So I decided to try this sour recipe since I love bourbon and had and never thought to mix it with lavender. I made this with bourbon. Then I made a second drink but substituted the bourbon with tequila and lime for the lemon. I could taste the lavender much more in the tequila sour then the bourbon sour. Lavender scent and flavor was there in the bourbon but mixed with a lot of other flavors. Not sure, as someone who prefers her bourbon neat, that I enjoyed it in the bourbon. But it wasn’t horrible either, just different. I’m glad I gave it a try.
It’s always interesting to do a little tweaking and comparing to figure out what works for you!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes