Don’t we all want to drink something bright pinky-purple?
Yes — forever. Obviously.
Happy Thirsty Thursday! I feel like I’m transported back to college calling it that. Is it still a thing? Am I stuck in an early-2000s time machine? My playlists and my dance moves say yes.
About the lavender: I have a little story that made me laugh (and cringe) at the same time. I was making these blueberry mojitos as a pre-dinner cocktail while Max sat coloring quietly. I reached for the leftover lavender from the syrup to garnish the glass… and it was gone.
Completely gone.
There he was, sitting on the floor, carefully pulling every single lavender bud off the sprigs. He looked like a tiny purple pile and smelled like an overenthusiastic Bath & Body Works display. He was so proud — big eyes, huge grin, “look what I did!”
I had saved a few sprigs to garnish the drinks, so I was momentarily defeated. I ran outside and grabbed some small purple flowers that grow near our fern. From a distance they look like lavender, and close up they’re different — but they were perfectly fine for a splash of purple in the cocktail. Max smelled like fresh flowers for hours afterward (yes, I bathed him).
Lavender isn’t new on this site — I’ve used it in ice cream, popcorn and scones — but I hadn’t made a cocktail with it until now, especially not with lavender from my own garden. For the syrup I combined dried culinary lavender with a little fresh garden lavender to deepen the flavor. There’s something magical about sugar and lavender together.
I was never a big floral person — I prefer warm vanilla, amber and musk to rose or lilac — but after trying vanilla with lavender I was hooked. Lavender adds a dreamy, slightly sweet, nostalgic note to both food and drink that I adore.
I kept the lavender a surprise from Eddie because he’s suspicious of floral flavors, and he loved the drink once he tasted it. Blueberry pairs beautifully with lavender, and fresh mint brings the classic mojito brightness. The combination is herbal, floral and fruit-forward — everything a summer cocktail should be.
Why are mojitos so good? Summer is officially still happening, and this version is a great way to celebrate it.
Blueberry Mojitos with Lavender Syrup
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 1/2 ounces lavender simple syrup, recipe below
- a handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1 1/2 ounce white rum
- 1 1/2 ounces club soda
- the juice of one lime
lavender simple syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
- 2 sprigs fresh lavender
Instructions
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Place the blueberries in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water. Heat over medium-low until the berries burst and become saucy. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you prefer a clearer syrup, but small flecks of blueberry are fine.
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Add 2 tablespoons of the blueberry puree to the bottom of a glass. Stir in the lavender syrup. Add the fresh mint leaves and gently muddle them to release their aroma. Fill the glass with ice, then pour in the rum, club soda and lime juice. Stir with a long spoon and garnish with an extra sprig of mint.
lavender simple syrup
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Combine the sugar, water and lavender in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 1 minute, then remove from heat and let it steep as it cools. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the lavender and store the syrup in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
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I appreciate you so much!
Long live it.