Summer is summer-ing like never before. The gentle, sprightly spring era of summer has ended. Summer flowers have wilted away and our sunscreens are screening… um, screaming for help. In this burning heat, what better way to relax than to concoct a hearty cocktail? Floral cocktails have been in trend for a long time, combining mellow florals and robust spirits. Apply your sunscreen, wear your summer fits, and sip on some floral flavors in style.
After all, “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking!”
Floral Cocktails That You Should Try Out This Summer
- Hibiscus Margarita
- Golden Jasmine Martini
- Lavender Bees Knees
- Rose Water Gin and Tonic
- Lavender French 75
- Sakura Martini
Hibiscus Margarita
This margarita is a pink, tropical take on the classic margarita. Combining the understated flavor of hibiscus flowers is quite a task, however, this margarita accomplishes it like it’s no big deal. The hibiscus simple syrup used in this recipe can be made at home. Just boil water, steep hibiscus flowers in them, strain the water, and combine it with equal parts of sugar till you get a syrupy consistency. If this margarita is on your summer-party menu, we’re sure no one would decline the invitation. Not even us!
Ingredients
- 2 oz of vodka
- 2 ½ oz of fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup of simple hibiscus syrup
- A dried hibiscus flower/slice of lime for garnish
- Lime juice (to rim the glass)
- Salt (to rim the glass)
Instructions
- Combine vodka, fresh lime juice, and hibiscus syrup in a cocktail shaker. Don’t forget to add ice.
- Channel your inner Taylor Swift by shaking it up!
- Dip the lip of a glass in lime juice and then salt to rim it nicely.
- Strain the contents into the glass.
- Garnish with either a slice of lime or a dried hibiscus flower.
Golden Jasmine Martini
The soft, mellow fragrance of jasmine is addictive, to say the least. Since ages, we Indians have been using jasmine to extract captivating scents and perfumes. Now, this humble flower has found its way into the classic Martini. This jasmine Martini is a perfect apéritif that you can serve before a hearty, flavorful meal. The golden hue makes it look like a drink straight out of heaven. Don’t believe us? Try it out yourself.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz of vodka
- 1 teaspoon of jasmine green tea leaves
- Sugar syrup or honey (as per taste)
- Jasmine flower to garnish
Instructions
- Set the martini glass to chill.
- Now, make jasmine tea by boiling water and jasmine tea leaves.
- Turn the flame off, strain it, and set aside for a few minutes.
- Add sugar syrup or honey as per liking and stir.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the tea and vodka.
- Shake well to chill.
- Pour it into the pre-chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with a jasmine flower and serve.
Also Read: Best Sundowner Cocktails For This Summer
Lavender Bee’s Knees
You know the drink is going to be mind-blowing when it’s from the roaring 1920s. The Prohibition Era in America, which laid a total ban on alcohol consumption, gave us some rather iconic drinks. Quite the irony if you ask us. In fact, ‘Bee’s knees’ was a literal slang during that time that meant something was ‘the best’. No wonder why the drink is called so. We’re on our knees for the Bee’s Knees and so will be you once you taste it!
Ingredients
- 2 oz of vodka or gin
- 1 oz of lemon juice
- 1 oz of lavender-honey syrup (made by boiling and straining a simple mixture of water and honey in equal parts, and dried lavender)
- 1 sprig of dried lavender to garnish
Instructions
- Set aside a Martini or coupe glass to chill.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all the ingredients.
- Shake, shake, and shake for about 30 seconds.
- Strain the contents of the shaker into the pre-chilled glass.
- Garnish with a dried lavender sprig.
- We’re ready to serve!
Rose Water Gin and Tonic
This floral cocktail captures the essence of the summer-girl aesthetic like no other drink. The ethereal rose flavor combines effortlessly with the sharp gin and tonic. It’s simple, it’s refreshing, it’s easy to make, and looks like a million bucks. Making a rose water cocktail is super easy, and the perfect drink to make with your date. When the universe gives a sign to amp up your date night, you shouldn’t ignore it!
Ingredients
- 4 oz of tonic water
- 1 ½ oz of gin
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
- Dried rose petals to garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add a few cubes of ice.
- Then add gin, tonic, and rosewater.
- Stir it gently and garnish with rose petals.
- Sip it with your date and you’ll thank us later!
Also Read: Celebrate Pride Month With These Colorful Cocktails
Lavender Empress French 75
The classic French 75 gets a floral makeover in the form of the Lavender French 75. The pale lilac color of the drink, thanks to the indigo Empress gin, imparts an elegant, vintage look to the cocktail. A sip of the cocktail will assure you that it tastes vintage too. After all, you deserve to become an empress strolling in your French castle. Even if that looks like a distant dream, you can surely stroll around in your home.
Ingredients
- 1 oz of Empress gin
- ¾ oz of fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz of lavender syrup
- Champagne or sparkling wine to garnish
- Edible flowers to garnish
Instructions
- Set aside a coupe glass to chill.
- Add ice into a cocktail shaker.
- Now, add gin, lemon juice and lavender syrup into the shaker.
- Shake well to chill, for about 20 seconds.
- Strain into the pre-chilled glass.
- With the back of a spoon, gently pour champagne or sparkling wine into the cocktail.
- Garnish with edible flowers and the ‘empress’ is ready to win your hearts.
Sakura Martini
The Sakura Martini is a modern rendition of the Saketini, which reached its peak in the late 90s and early 2000s. It is the perfect combination of the East and the West in a drink. The understated flavor of sake pairs well with the beloved gin. The maraschino liqueur adds the perfect amount of sweet, floral zing, and a pickled cherry blossom is literally the cherry on top! Well, if going to Japan is on your bucket list, we recommend chugging down this floral cocktail first.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ oz of sake
- ¾ oz of gin
- ¾ teaspoons of maraschino liqueur
- Salt-pickled cherry blossom
Instructions
- Set aside a coupe glass to chill.
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice.
- Shake it vigorously.
- Strain in the pre-chilled glass.
- Garnish with some cherry blossom and you’re good to go!
Summing up
Floral cocktails are easy to make and look pretty enough to take your breath away. Like literal art on your cocktail glasses. They are just perfect if you need a good companion on a summer afternoon. Or just about any other occasion, event or time of the day. The flower’s in your court now!
FAQs
What Flowers Can Be Used For Cocktails?
Many flowers like rose, lavender, elderflower, hibiscus, chamomile, violet, pansy, etc., can be used to make cocktails.
Does Drinking Lavender Calm You?
Clinical tests have reported that consuming lavender tea shows positive effects on your brain, de-stresses and calms you down.
Why Is French 75 Popular?
French 75, just like other drinks like Bee’s Knees and the Sidecar greatly helped in sweetening the strong, often robust flavor of gin, which was quite popular in the 1920s.
What Makes A Good Martini?
A good martini combines an equal amount of dry vermouth and gin. However, there are many variations of Martini that play with the proportions of dry vermouth and gin.
Can I Drink Fresh Hibiscus Flowers?
Both dry and fresh hibiscus flowers can be used to prepare hibiscus tea. Hibiscus tea has several medicinal properties and is a healthy substitute to the conventional tea.
What Does The Saying “Bees Knees” Mean?
It is an old idiom that means ‘to be excellent’. The drink got its name from this idiom because of its exceptional taste.
What Flowers Can You Use As Garnishes?Flowers such as lavender, hibiscus, rose petals (both dried and fresh), violet flowers, Baby’s Breath are a few flowers good enough to use as garnishes.
