Lavender and Honey Collins

Lavender and Honey Collins Recipe

I couldn’t let this week’s Chelsea Flower Show go unnoticed. Especially with my love of all things floral. The Chelsea Flower Show marks the start of Summer, with it’s perfectly tended gardens and hundred’s of visitors making my journey to work a nightmare. And it usually co-incides with a week of wet weather, but the forecast is promising today, so fingers crossed for some Bank Holiday sunshine.

Today’s Friday Cocktail, to mark this flowery occasion, is a Lavender and Honey Collins. This is a heady mixture of my favourite gin, a honey based lavender syrup and fresh lemon juice. It is a lively concoction, so feel free to add soda to make this into a longer drink.

Don’t be put off by the lavender flavour, this cocktail has a fresh, delicate taste and is an elegant one for sipping. The syrup is easy too, just a mix of honey, lavender and hot water and it keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks for future Lavender and Honey Collins’. So enjoy this taste of Summer, come rain or shine this Cocktail Friday.

Here’s the line up for this floral favourite. I have dried lavender in my cupboard to make lavender shortbread. It reminds me of my childhood lavender bags and has a wonderful nostalgic scent.

Start by making the syrup. Take a bowl and pour in the honey. Add the hot water and lavender, stir, then leave to infuse for about 15 minutes.

When the time is up, strain this floral syrup into a jug or jar.

Now – crack on making the cocktail. Take the shaker and add a good handful of ice. Add the gin, lavender syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Shake the cocktail shaker until this wonderful mixture is well chilled. Then pour into lovely glass, garnished with a sprig of lavender if you have it, or an edible flower.

My hand looks like a claw for goodness sake.

Sip this wonderful flowery cocktail and dream of the Summer, wishing your garden looked like one of the ones at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Delicious. Gin and Lavender – Cocktail Friday has a Grandma style nostalgic feel this week. Have a restful bank holiday weekend, Lucy Loves Family, be you at home or away.

Lots of love

Lucy x

Lavender and Honey Collins Recipe

Serves 1

You will need a fancy glass, of your choice and a cocktail shaker

50ml gin

25ml lavender syrup

25ml lemon juice

Optional soda/fizzy water

Ice

For Lavender Syrup

60ml honey

3 tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon dried lavender

Start by making the syrup. Blend the honey with the boiling water then stir in the teaspoon of lavender. Leave to infuse for about 15 minutes then strain through a tea strainer or small sieve into a jug or jar.

To make the cocktail take a shaker and add a good handful of ice. Pour in the gin, lavender syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice and shake until well chilled. Pour into your cocktail glass and garnish with a stem of lavender. This can be made into a longer drink by topping up with soda or fizzy water. The syrup will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.