The first is a straightforward rum punch roughly following the main tenet of Tiki Punches: 1 sour, 2 Sweet, 3 Strong, 4 weak. Which means 1 part citrus juice, 2 parts of something very sweet (usually syrup), 3 parts booze, and 4 parts juice/tonic/soda/etc. I feel like this one is pretty simple and doesn’t require a whole lot of elaboration.

The second recipe is a bit more in depth and so science-y it’s gonna feel like you’ve stepped right into potions class. It is another traditional rum punch, however this time we’re doing a clarified milk punch because why not. If you wanna see how we’ve used this method before, check out our Wisdom & Tea recipe which can be found here.

Over the years, without much consistent effort, I’ve been trying a lot of these trying to find the one that fits just right. I can’t say that I ever really succeeded (again, for me personally) so I finally took it upon myself to make something that fit my requirements.

I don’t mean for any of that build up to lead you to think I’m claiming my version is the perfect, end all be all, cream of the crop Butterbeer recipe, but for me currently it is. My rules for making this were: No cream soda, No separate foam component to be slopped on top, while I know the books describe it as such, Not so sickeningly sweet you struggle to drink it past a few sips, and last but not least, Easy enough to whip up on short notice. For last minute HP marathons of course!

The rules I set out to follow in my attempting to create this recipe were: Tastes like butterscotch, as already mentioned be relatively easy to make, low ABV as described in the books…I could be crazy but I remember it being described at home point as strong enough to get a House Elf drunk but obviously served to children…Beer like, and last but not least, Cold as opposed to hot which is how it’s served in mugs in the books.

The last one is simple personal preference as I’m not a huge fan of hot beverages regardless of the season. If you want to try it hot I would suggest building it along the same lines as a Hot Butter Rum cocktail. Rambling aside, I’m pretty happy with how this turned out and I hope you’ll give it a shot.

As for the drink itself, it hits the right butterscotch notes, using the NA beer is fun, keeps the ABV down, obviously gives it a beer feel, and all comes together to make a pretty solid head that holds up for a solid couple minutes before starting to deflate. 

Ingredients:

Directions

* Butter Washed Whiskey

1. In a small pan over medium low heat gently brown your butter.
2. Transfer the now browned butter to a sealable container and add your whiskey of choice.
3. Seal the container, give it a good shake, and pop it in the freezer (upside down if possible), and leave overnight.
4. Pull that container out of the freezer and strain off the whiskey into a fresh airtight container. Reserve the frozen butter for cookies or some shit.

Maybe you’re in the mood for something savory, if so check out the salads. We have 25 mouthwatering recipes for you to choose from.

What To Make With Strawberries For Breakfast

Strawberry Donuts

Aren’t these Strawberry Frosted Donuts beautiful? They are soft and fluffy like a cake with real strawberry glaze frosting. It’s a lovely treat for a weekend breakfast.

Balsamic Strawberry Avocado Toast

This Balsamic Strawberry Avocado Toast makes your morning so much brighter. Featuring a thick balsamic vinegar that’s been reduced and sweetened. Don’t forget the avocado and feta cheese crumbles!

Strawberries & Cream Cinnamon Rolls

Lucious Strawberries & Cream Cinnamon Rolls are sure to please the whole family on Saturday morning! These rolls are so fluffy and soft with cream cheese and fresh strawberry glaze that literally melts in your mouth.

Strawberry Poptarts

Make your own pop tarts at home with this simple recipe. Shaped like a heart they’re perfect for a romantic snack or just for fun. Plus you can make them ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hrs. 

Strawberry Pancakes

Looking for ideas on what to make with strawberries? Strawberry Pancakes are moist and fluffy! They’re so easy to make on a weekend morning or breakfast for dinner night! Every bite is bursting with strawberry flavor.

Strawberry Chia Jam

You only need four simple ingredients to make this Strawberry Chia Seed Jam! Anyone can make it too plus it’s full of nutrients. Use it to naturally sweeten yogurt, oatmeal or toast!

Savory Recipes

Grilled Chicken Strawberry Avocado Salad

What could be more refreshing for Spring and Summer than a grilled chicken strawberry salad? Featuring avocado, pecans, marinated chicken, strawberries, and homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. It’s gluten free and bursting with flavor.

Strawberry Chicken Salad

Strawberry Chicken Salad is the answer to the question of what to make with strawberries! With tasty ingredients like chicken, strawberries, creamy goat cheese, walnuts, and creamy maple dressing.

Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad

This recipe for zesty Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad with poppy seeds is sure to be a hit. It’s ready to serve in less than 20 minutes plus it is vegetarian and includes Weight Watchers Points.

Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa

Serve up this easy 5-ingredient Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa! Bursting with flavor, it’s a tasty twist that requires no stove time. Nutritious and simple, it’s a go-to for a quick and delicious snack.

Strawberry Tamales

Want new ideas on what to make with strawberries? You have to see these Tamales! Try this easy tamale recipe with fresh strawberries, light pink dough, and a sweet strawberry jam filling. Serve it with Mexican hot chocolate or atole. Treat yourself to something special.

Dessert Ideas

Strawberry Cookies With Cake Mix

These Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies With Cake Mix are amazing. The cheesecake glaze is stuffed with fresh strawberries for a burst of flavor. If you’re looking for a super easy cookie idea this is the one for you.

Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake

I love this moist vanilla cake with juicy strawberry pieces! It’s the perfect sweet treat that lasts for days! This easy recipe is your go-to treat when craving a little extra kick in your everyday pound cake. The strawberries turn soft and jammy in the middle – it’s so good!

Elderflower Infused Strawberry Galette

Wondering what to make with strawberries? Make this Elderflower Infused Strawberry Galette! Whether sweet or savory, these treats are always a winner. Just a single sheet of pastry, casually folded over the filling, creates a rustic masterpiece.

Strawberry Pie With Jello

This strawberry jello pie is excellent for the fruit season! I love the flaky crust that perfectly compliments the filling. This dessert recipe is great for beginning bakers so don’t worry!

Strawberry Mochi

Serve up Strawberry Mochi (Ichigo Daifuku)! These chewy treats combine mochi, strawberries, and a Japanese bean paste. They’re easy to make and perfect for celebrating the strawberry season, they’re a delightful treat for any occasion.

Strawberry Filled Cupcakes

These strawberry-filled cupcakes are a dreamy treat for the season. With a perfect balance of sweetness and tangy strawberry flavor, they’re sure to be a hit. Everyone will love the light, spongy texture anytime of the year.

Strawberry Crepe Cake

What to make with strawberries? Whip up this Strawberry Crepe Cake on the stovetop! This dessert features layers of paper-thin crepes with a charming ruffled edge. Each layer is stuffed with fresh strawberry whipped cream that can’t be beat.

Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake

I love this delightful no-bake strawberry crunch cheesecake! Featuring juicy fresh strawberries and a crunchy topping that adds a perfect texture! If I had to pick one dessert for the rest of my life it would be this one.

Drinks & Syrups

Easy Strawberry Milk Tea

Craving a refreshing drink for warmer days? Try this Easy Strawberry Milk Tee, it’s a breeze to make with simple ingredients. Just blend in the strawberries with creamy milk, and you’re all set. Give it a whirl and welcome the sunshine with every sip!

Strawberry Lemonade

Simple and refreshing homemade strawberry lemonade! Featuring fresh strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. It makes the perfect summer drink! It’s way fresher than store-bought lemonade. Just add ripe strawberries for a delicious way to cool off on a hot day.

Refreshing Strawberry Mocktail

Wondering what to make with leftover strawberries? Make this delicious strawberry mocktail with fresh lemon juice and basil! Beat the heat with fresh and zesty ingredients!

Strawberry Coulis Recipe

Make a quick strawberry coulis in under 15 minutes with just 3 ingredients! I love it for topping cheesecake, pancakes, and other desserts. It’s sweet, gooey, and tart.

Korean Strawberry Milk

Fresh homemade Korean strawberry milk will instantly become your new favorite drink. You only need 3 simple ingredients too. It’s hard to believe that it’s totally natural and so easy to make.

Strawberry Simple Syrup

Are you looking for real fruity goodness? Try this simple strawberry syrup. It is natural, smells amazing, and tastes great in drinks, milk teas, pancakes, cakes, and more!

FAQ

When Are Strawberries In Season?

In most cases you will find strawberries to be in season during the spring and early summer months. However the precise timing can be different based on the region and climate.

Strawberries are so fresh, vibrant, and sweet! Use these recipe ideas to incorporate them into your diet more regularly.

How luscious does that sound? This colada is created with Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade Rum, a bit of Cream of Coconut and lemon juice.

Yield: 1

Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade Rum Colada

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Indulge in the tropical bliss of Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade Rum Colada. Elevate your cocktail experience with a burst of fruity freshness.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 parts Cruzan® Blueberry Lemonade Rum
• 1 part Coco® Lopez Cream of Coconut
• 1 part Fresh Lemon Juice
• Ice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a stemmed Hurricane glass and garnish with lemon zest.

Another way to enjoy Cruzan® Blueberry Lemonade Rum is to add it to some ice tea. Perfect for having a relaxing afternoon.

The Cruzan Rum website has so many recipes to try out like the Blue Velvet. It is simple to make and delicious to drink. I have some pineapple rum here that might be quite delicious in the Blue Velvet cocktail as well. I’ll have to give that a try.

Regardless of which cocktail you try, hope you enjoy!

With the added zest of thin sliced oranges and apples, this beverage is a refreshing change from your usual drink of choice.

Quick and easy to prepare, it’s an ideal choice for any occasion or, honestly, any day. I figure why wait to break out some sparkly. Sometimes just getting through the day is reason enough to celebrate.

Simply combine the ingredients in a pitcher or punch bowl, stir, and voilà—a refreshing beverage is ready to be served.

If you wanna fancy up your drink up a bit add a cinnamon stick to your glass.

Sparkling Apple Ginger Punch Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Sparkling Apple Ginger Punch Ingredients

2 c. fresh 100% apple juice
1½ c. sparkling water
2 t. ground ginger
1 small orange, thinly sliced
1 small apple, thinly sliced
Ice, to serve
4 large cinnamon sticks

Sparkling Apple Ginger Punch Directions

1. Add the apple juice, sparkling water, ground ginger, orange slices, and apple slices to a large pitcher or punch bowl and stir to combine.
   
2. To serve, fill tall glasses with ice and add a cinnamon stick, and fill with the sparkling apple ginger punch. Enjoy!

More Drink Recipes

Lavender Haze 

Stay Puft Before Christmas Cocktail

Boozy Pomegranate Cider

Yoda Hot Cocoa Recipe

How to Make the Perfect Mint Julep

As a lifelong fan of Avatar The Last Airbender (ATLA), I couldn’t be more excited about the FIRST ever live-action adaptation of this beloved classic. Surely the creators of this adaptation wouldn’t have the audacity to blatantly ignore the source material and sh*t all over a show that means so much to an entire generation who grew up on Nickelodeon. I mean who would do that…

…In celebration of this momentous event I thought I’d whip up a rendition of the most memorable beverage in cartoon history…Cactus Juice. No cartoon/anime has ever made me want to drink an animated, and entirely made up, beverage nearly as much as the quenchiest drink known to the ATLA gang. After all, it’ll quench ya! How could you possibly watch Momo and Sokka tripping balls around the desert and not wanna try some cactus juice of your own?

There is no shortage of Cactus Juice cocktails available online, however most are just a play on a margarita. Now while I understand why they end up there …desert …cactus …tequila …margarita, it makes sense. However, that doesn’t really sit quite right with me given that ATLA is an unapologetically Asian inspired cartoon.

They’re fighting for their lives against the tyranny of the fire nation not chilling on a beach in Cancun. Which is why I wanted to attempt a more Asian inspired take on cactus juice. 

In addition to that, cactus juice, as shown in ATLA, has always resembled coconut milk to me, another thing often missed in the margarita-esque takes, that I wanted to capture here in my take.

This led me down a path to the sweet Japanese beverage of Yakult, basically drinking yogurt, which is also obviously white and could pass visibly as coconut milk. It has also become quite trendy as of late, on the interwebs, to mix yakult with Soju (an extremely popular Korean spirit, often fruit infused). And just like that we have our base.

From there I wanted to go two different ways with the drink which is why we have two separate recipes here. The first I wanted to be approachable, easy drinking, and refreshing. The second I wanted to be easy drinking, refreshing, and hopefully approachable while adding the “hallucinogenic” notes of cactus juice shown in the show.

What better way to do that than to incorporate absinthe? The spirit believed to be so ridiculously hallucinogenic it was literally banned in the U.S. until 2007. One year before the 2008 Housing Crisis…Coincidence? I think not! Jokes aside, there is nothing hallucinogenic about absinthe. This drink runs no actual risk of making you “trip” (unless you drink too many), but the myth/lore around it was good enough for me.

This brings us to the last major component, the syrup. This bit was tricky. I really wanted to stay true to the “spirit” of the show and make the syrup with prickly pears or nopales, i.e. cactus paddles, as used on the How to Drink episode on ATLA but both of those went against my goal of approachability.

So, after wandering my local Meijer I landed on star fruit. Asian in origin, mildly sweet, flavor notes comparing it to a tart/sour apple or pear. Upon tasting I thought it resembled a pear more so than an apple which was perfect as my original intention, as already mentioned, was to use prickly pears.

All in all I’m very happy with how these drinks came together and I hope you’ll give them a go while we collectively binge Avatar the Last Airbender when it drops on Netflix. Hopefully it doesn’t bomb…but if it does we’ll just go back to collectively believing that there has never been a live-action adaptation.

“Drink cactus juice. It’ll quench ya!” 

Yield: 1

Cactus Juice

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Try our rendition of Cactus Juice from the show Avatar The Last Airbender. “Nothing’s Quenchier” then our take on this Cactus Juice Cocktail!

Ingredients

• Standard Ingredients:
• 2 oz Soju (personal preference West 32)
• 2 oz Yakult (Japanese Sweetened “Yogurt” Beverage)
• 2 oz Coconut Water*
• ½ oz Star Fruit Simple Syrup
• Absinthe Variant Ingredients:
• 2 oz West 32 Aged Soju*
• 2 oz Yakult
• 2 oz Coconut Water**
• ½ oz Star Fruit Simple Syrup
• ¼ oz Absinthe***
• ¼ oz Lemon Juice
• Star Fruit Simple Syrup:
• 1 cup Sugar, White
• ¾ cup Water
• 1 Star Fruit, cut into small chunks (can use pears as a substitute)

Instructions

Standard:

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add more ice than liquid, stir for about 30 rotations.
2. Strain into your glass of choice. Though I recommend either a coupe glass (8oz) or a hollowed out cactus.

Variant:

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add a couple handfuls of ice, seal your shaker and shake for about 15 seconds.
2. Double strain into your glass of choice. Again recommending either a coupe or cactus.

Star Fruit Simple Syrup:

1. Combine everything in a small saucepan.
2. Bring it to a boil over medium heat then reduce to the lowest possible simmer, stirring frequently.
3. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes
4. From here either puree and strain through a fine mesh strainer for a thicker more potent syrup or strain the syrup as is straight from the stove.
5. Allow to fully cool before use.

Notes

*In case of coconut allergies this drink is equally tasty with tonic water or Sprite. If using sprite you may want to reduce the simple syrup ratio.

*I’m not sure how widely available West 32 Soju is, let alone the aged version which is getting harder to find in my area, so any unflavored soju will work just as well. The aged soju simply adds a little more nuance and layers of flavor.

***Use a quality absinthe if you’re going to try this recipe. Bad absinthe is BAD…basically only has anise as a flavor note. Good absinthe has a lot more layers to build complexity. Plus absinthe is hardly used in any cocktails so if you’re investing in a bottle it’s gonna be around for a while. 

Now I know the one “rule” for a negroni is that it should (“must”) contain campari, but hear me out, campari is bad. I said it, I mean it, and I’m not sorry. If I wanted to taste something that bitter I’d just think about the imminent collapse of society brought on by decades of an unfettered, greedy, corrupt, capitalist nation with no signs of reversing course anytime soon…but I don’t really want to do that either, so I just sub Aperol and you should too.

Aperol offers similar bitter notes while adding nuance unlike Campari which simply steamrolls whatever flavors the smallest amount has just come in contact with.

The other noticeable change is the lack of sweet vermouth. I did attempt a few iterations of this drink with both sweet vermouth and Campari but with the Baijiu being such a loud spirit I felt like there was far too much infighting, too many aggressive flavors fighting for your attention when attempting to mix these particular spirits in the style of a “true” Negroni.

Because of this I ended up going with the Cocchi over the sweet vermouth as it creates a much more harmonious and balanced drink in the end. All said and done we are left with the Black Dragon Negroni, a cocktail made in the spirit (wink) of a Negroni.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Black Dragon Negroni Recipe

Notes:

*To make the oolong Baijiu simple add 2 of your favorite oolong tea bags to 8oz of baijiu and let sit for at least 8 hours. Shouldn’t need to be said but the better the quality of the tea the better the quality of the infusion.

**To make the Sichuan tincture combine 8oz of high proof vodka with 25g of red sichuan peppers in an airtight container. Give it a good shake and allow it to sit for 2-3 days. Taste test it each day and strain out the peppercorns when you’re happy with the flavor. Don’t let it sit for much longer than that though as it will start to take on more bitter/astringent flavors rather than the floral/aromatic flavors we’re looking for here. 

Yield: 1

Black Dragon Negroni

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Embrace the Year of the Dragon with our Black Dragon Negroni recipe. A bold mix honoring the spirit of the dragon.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1oz Oolong Infused Ming River Baijiu*
• 1oz Cocchi Americano
• 1oz Aperol
• 1-2 dashes Saline Solution
• ¼ oz Sichuan Tincture**, for rinsing

Instructions

1. Pour the sichuan tincture into a rocks glass and swirl around gently coating the edges. Set aside while you build the rest of the cocktail in a separate mixing vessel.
2. In your mixing vessel combine the Baijiu, Cocchi, Aperol, and saline solution. Add more ice than liquid and stir with a bar spoon for 30 - 40 rotations. 
3. Give your tincture another swirl around the glass and discard. That can be down the sink, down the hatch, or back into the tincture container for later.
4. Add a large ice cube to your “rinsed” glass and strain the cocktail over it. 

Notes

*To make the oolong Baijiu simple add 2 of your favorite oolong tea bags to 8oz of baijiu and let sit for at least 8 hours. Shouldn't need to be said but the better the quality of the tea the better the quality of the infusion.

**To make the Sichuan tincture combine 8oz of high proof vodka with 25g of red sichuan peppers in an airtight container. Give it a good shake and allow it to sit for 2-3 days. Taste test it each day and strain out the peppercorns when you're happy with the flavor. Don’t let it sit for much longer than that though as it will start to take on more bitter/astringent flavors rather than the floral/aromatic flavors we’re looking for here. 

It’s pre-made, it’s precalculated for bulk batches, it’s shelf stable, and last but not least it’s ready to drink.

“The key to Wisdom and Tea is proper aging”

Uncle Iroh

My go to clarified milk punch (CMP) recipe is this one here provided by Alton Brown (AB) https://altonbrown.com/recipes/clarified-milk-punch/. A delicious recipe on its own, dead easy to follow, and a great start if you’re unfamiliar with this style of punch.

I’ve made the AB version multiple times but this time around I was struck by a crazy thought and wanted to see if I could make it work…as fate would have it…of course I did, and here we are. Stay humble kids.

My inspiration for this was to finally kill off a bottle of Baijiu I had purchased on a whim out of morbid curiosity.

Baijiu is, after all, the best selling spirit in the world and very, very popular in China. I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.

I’m not gonna sit here and type away as if I’m some renowned expert on Baijiu, that wouldn’t be fair to either of us, and would only do a disservice to the spirit and its deep history. It was new to me and I’m constantly curious about new food/flavor experiences.

Unfortunately like most westerners seem to, I found its flavor profile quite strange. Definitely an acquired taste.

To me, specifically the brand I tried (Ming River), it came across as a very perfume-y gin or vodka. Not a bad spirit but VERY perfume-y.

Circling back to the CMP my crazy thought was to attempt to tame the more assaulting notes of the baijiu with the science of clarified milk punch. One of its most notable features is its ability to round out a cocktail and reign in some of the harsher notes of your drink.

As an extra challenge to myself, since I was using a Chinese spirit, I wanted to see if I could follow the AB ratios but sub in more asian/asian inspired ingredients.

In place of the port, inspired by a different CMP recipe that called for white port, I used Soju (wildly popular Korean spirit). Specifically I used West 32 Soju, a more recent find for me. West 32 Soju is a super easy drinking soju (in my opinion) distilled in New York.

In place of the Rum I used the Ming River Baijiu. From trusted personal sources that seem to be backed up online, Ming River is one of the better options for baijiu in the states.  In place of the allspice dram I used Falernum.

Not Asian in any way but after a few test batches trying other replacements I liked how the falernum complemented the other flavors in the drink.

That said, this is the component I’m most excited to continue experimenting with. In place of the black tea I used green tea, Equal Exchange Organic specifically. This is another part of the drink I’m curious to play with. I’d really like to test a batch using matcha. 

All in all I am extremely happy with how this punch turned out and hope you’ll give it a shot, or a couple…

Ingredients

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil. Cut the heat, wait 30 seconds, and then pour over your tea bags. Allow to sit for 6 minutes. Remove the tea bags and whisk in the sugar.
2. While your tea is cooling to room temp, combine the soju, baijiu, falernum, and lemon juice. In a Separate container (like a large mason jar) add the milk.
3. Once cooled add the tea to the baijiu mix and gently stir.
4. Pour the new baijiu mix, slowly, into the milk container. It must be done in this order, not the other way around. Do Not pour the milk into the booze mix, it wont work. When the baijiu mix combines with the milk it will, and should, curdle.
5. Allow this to sit undisturbed on the counter for 1 hour minimum or in the fridge overnight to “age”.
6. After at least 1 hour strain the mixture through a coffee filter, either lining a mesh trainer or in something like a chemex. Most recipes call for you to strain a couple ounces through the filter and then transfer that initial few ounces back to the master batch to continue straining. I found it less annoying to simply double strain the entire mix, which has the added benefit of yielding a more clarified punch. Just make sure you use the same filter when you strain the second time. Depending on your batch size this process can take quite some time, be patient and plan accordingly.*
7. From here you’re ready to enjoy. Serve chilled neat or over a large ice cube. As a side note this punch is fridge stable pretty much indefinitely (full disclosure, I’m no scientist) so feel free to throw it in the fridge and enjoy at some point down the road.

*One thing to note when doing clarified punch, that I wish was better reflected in a lot of recipes, is that the coffee filter is not doing the filtering here the milk solids are. The milk solids are extremely crucial to the process. Do not scoop them out or strain them before running the mixture through the coffee filter.*

More Cocktails To Try:

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In 1948, this unique concoction of white peach nectar and northern Italy’s own sparkling prosecco wine was named the “Bellini” in honor of artist Giovanni Bellini.

If you spend anytime in Italy sitting at an outdoor cafe sipping a peach Bellini is quite a delightful way to spend an afternoon. 

One of my favorite memories from my Italy adventure was just watching the world go by with a cocktail and a great view. My advice, go in the shoulder season when it’s easier to find a seat and the heat isn’t oppressive. Add a little nibble to enjoy while indulging in Bellinis.

The classic Bellini cocktail is a study in simplicity. It calls for just 2 ingredients: fresh white peaches and chilled prosecco wine. Over time, countless variations have emerged, including some with peach schnapps, French Champagne or raspberry liqueur.

This version of peach Bellini is close to the original, but uses fresh or frozen yellow peaches rather than white.

Peach Bellini Recipe

Dragonwater Cocktail Recipe

French 75 Cocktail Recipe

Berry Vodka Cocktail Recipe

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Peach Bellini

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This Peach Bellini is the perfect cocktail for holidays, get together or just because. A few simple ingredients makes a great cocktail.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bottle of Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled
• 2 fresh peaches, sliced or ½ bag frozen peaches, thawed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water.
2. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Add peach slices and lemon juice to a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Scoop 1 – 2 tablespoons of the peach puree and a drizzle of simple syrup into a chilled champagne flute.
5. Fill glass half way with Prosecco and stir lightly to blend before filling glasses.
6. Garnish with a peach slice.

Given that the color of the syrup is a beautiful dark purple (in the bottle) my initial thoughts were to make something that riff’d on either the iconic Jimi Hendrix song “Purple Haze” or the equally iconic Prince song “Purple Rain”. Third place would have been Deep Purple…Really original ideas, what can I say? 

With classic rock in my heart I sat down to begin researching what I could do for this cocktail…only to be met on my FIRST search with the knowledge that the name Lavender Haze has already been commandeered by Swifties in the cocktail community.

And with that I bowed my head, lowered my devil horns, and began searching for the nearest star football player.

The Lavender Haze is a gin based cocktail using Empress 1908, a gin renowned for its vibrant blue color derived from butterfly pea blossom that undergoes a chemical reaction and changes to a purple hue with the introduction of acid, that was served at various Era Tours locations.

Maybe it was all the locations, maybe it was at a pre-party or something, I’m not gonna lie to ya I don’t know anything about that tour.

Anywho,  given that I now had a bottle of purple simple syrup sitting in front of me I set out to see what we could do without our hands being tied to an extremely specific bottle of gin.

After comparing various recipes online that all claimed they were “The” Eras Tour Recipe (though all different) I set out on drinking heavily…I mean recipe testing and developing…really though how’d you think this works?

And eventually settled on “Our Version”..

Now I will admit while this drink does lack the truly stunning purple produced with the traditional Empress Gin it makes up for it by allowing you to use whatever your personal favorite gin happens to be, as well as, still providing some purple hue in the drink.

In my case, my gin of choice was Rock Rose (not to be confused with the dwarven metal band Wind Rose), a delicious navy strength (read overproofed) gin. Which has great flavor but also provides an extra kick while sipping on a lavender cocktail.

Lavender Haze (Our Version) Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

1. In a shaker combine the gin, falernum, and syrup. Add some ice and shake for 10-15 seconds to chill/combine.
2. Single strain into an ice filled glass and top with lemonade.
3. Throw a straw in it and enjoy.

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