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This sparkling lavender gin cocktail, or lavender Tom Collins, is made with a unique homemade lavender simple syrup and freshly juiced lemons for a refreshing Spring or Summer happy hour drink! This craft cocktail has a balanced lemony flavor and subtle floral notes with hints of vanilla.
Why You’ll Love This Lavender Gin Cocktail
- Easy Homemade Lemon Lavender Simple Syrup: an easy DIY lavender simple syrup recipe creates a delicate lavender and floral flavor for this classic gin cocktail.
- Refreshing for Winter Blues or Warmer Weather: this craft cocktail uses a mixture of lemon club soda and sparkling lemonade for a refreshing take on a lavender Tom Collins.
- Customizable: this recipe can be made with or without gin! Make it into a sweet sparkling lavender lemonade mocktail!
- Easy and Ready in 15 Minutes (Including the Syrup!): the homemade simple syrup only takes 5-10 minutes to make.
Ingredients
This cocktail recipe is incredibly easy and only takes a few simple ingredients to make. The only ingredient you may need to order online is this dried lavender. You should also be able to find it at specialty grocery stores. I was able to find mine at World Market.
For the DIY Lavender Syrup:
- Dried Culinary Lavender
- White Cane Sugar or Brown Sugar
- Water
- Lemon Zest
- Pure Vanilla Extract, or vanilla bean
For the Lavender Gin Cocktail:
- Lavender Simple Syrup, see above
- Dry Gin, I used Hendrick’s which is vegan friendly
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Club Soda, or use lemon flavored club soda for more citrus notes
- Sparkling Lemonade, optional
Substitutions & Add-Ins
See below for substitutions and other flavors that can be added to this delicious recipe.
- Gin: feel free to use your gin of choice. I used Hendrick’s but I’ve heard great things about Empress Gin which is also vegan and made with butterfly pea flowers for a beautiful violet/purple color. If you’re not a fan of gin, feel free to swap it for vodka or for more club soda to make a lavender mocktail!
- Sparkling Lemonade: if you don’t want to use sparkling lemonade or you want a more classic cocktail, swap it for more club soda.
- Lavender Bitters: add lavender bitters for more flavor and a more pronounced lavender aroma.
- Elderflower Liqueur: for a classic combo, add some elderflower liqueur to the dry gin.
Helpful Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker or Mason Jar
- Small Pot or Saucepan, to make the syrup
- Serving Glass, I used a coupe glass but you can use a highball glass or your favorite cocktail glass
Step-by-step Instructions
🍋 *Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
To Make the Homemade Lavender Syrup:
STEP 1: In a small saucepan or pot, add the dried lavender, sugar, lemon zest, and water. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
STEP 2: Gently stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. The syrup should be slightly thicker in consistency but will continue to thicken as it cools.
STEP 3: Remove from the heat. Then, add the vanilla extract, if using.
STEP 4: Next, pour the syrup through a metal sieve (to remove the lavender) into a sealable heat-proof jar or container. Let it cool completely at room temperature, then store in the fridge for up to a week.
Make the Lavender Gin Cocktail (Tom Collins)
STEP 1: Juice the lemons and pour the fresh juice into the cocktail shaker with a handful of ice.
STEP 2: Then, add the simple syrup, dry gin, and club soda (soda water). Shake to combine.
📌 TIP: you can add the sparkling lemonade to the shaker if you’d like, but the drink will be fizzier!
STEP 3: Pour the sparkling lemonade into your serving glass and top with half of the shaken mixture from the cocktail shaker.
Serving the Lavender Collins
Top the finished cocktail with thinly sliced lemons and a sprinkle of dried lavender.
You can also garnish the drink with lemon twists and fresh lavender sprigs if you have them on hand!
Feel free to serve the cocktail over ice.
How to Store the Lavender Syrup
Transfer the lavender syrup to a clean, sealable airtight container or jar.
📌 TIP: for the best results, make sure the container has been sterilized or cleaned very well prior to filling it. This will help the syrup last longer.
Let the syrup cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the syrup to the fridge.
The syrup can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
FYI: If the syrup is placed in the fridge prior to cooling completely, it may crystallize.
Pro Tips
Follow these simple tips for the best results!
- Add as much or as little vanilla lavender simple syrup as you’d like: adjust the amount of sweetness by adding more or less syrup to taste!
- Use Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice: for the best flavor use fresh citrus juice.
- Add Ice Cubes: use ice if you’d like to serve the cocktail on the rocks!
FAQ
Tom Collins are typically served in a Collins or Highball Glass. But you can serve this cocktail in your glass of choice. I chose to use a coupe glass!
This lavender Tom Collins is delightfully refreshing, sweet, with subtle floral flavor. It tastes almost like sparkling lavender lemonade!
If you don’t want to make a Lavender Collins, you can use this lavender simple syrup to make a Lavender Gin Fizz with tonic water, Lavender Martini, Lavender Gin Sour, or a Bee’s Knees. If you’re vegan, I have a vegan honey recipe you can use for the Lavender Bee’s Knees!
More Delicious Drink Recipes:
- Taro Milk Tea with Boba
- Watermelon Mojito
- Strawberry Latte
- Strawberry Simple Syrup for Cocktails
- Refreshing Gin Mojito
Did you make this sparkling lemon lavender gin cocktail?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Lavender Gin Cocktail (Tom Collins)
This sparkling lavender gin cocktail, or lavender Tom Collins, is made with a unique homemade lavender simple syrup and freshly juiced lemons for a refreshing Spring or Summer happy hour drink!
This craft cocktail has a balanced lemony flavor and subtle floral notes with hints of vanilla.
Ingredients
Lavender simple syrup (makes 1 ¼ cup syrup)
- 1 cup (8oz) water
- 2 tbsp (9g) culinary dried lavender
- 1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar
- Zest of ½ a lemon
- Optional- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Lavender Gin Cocktail (serves 2)
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1-2 oz lavender simple syrup, to taste (see above)
- 3-4 oz dry gin, or sub. vodka
- 3 oz soda water, lemon-flavored
- 3 oz sparkling lemonade, or sub more soda water
Optional Garnish
- Lemon slices or lemon twists
- Dried lavender or lavender sprigs
Instructions
Lavender Simple Syrup
- In a small saucepan or pot, add the dried lavender, sugar, lemon zest, and water. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Gently stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. The syrup should be slightly thicker in consistency, but will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract, if using.
- Pour the syrup through a metal sieve (to remove the lavender) into a sealable heat-proof jar or container.
- Cool completely at room temperature, then store in the fridge for up to a week.
Make the Lavender Gin Cocktail (Lavender Collins)
- In a cocktail shaker, add a handful of ice, the simple syrup, gin, lemon juice, and club soda (soda water). Shake to combine.
- Pour half of the shaken mixture from the cocktail shaker into your serving glass. Top off the glass with the sparkling lemonade. Repeat for the 2nd cocktail.
- Garnish with lemon slices and culinary lavender.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Trans Fat: 0g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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