After the year we all had in 2020 and the rough winter many around the country are still facing, I think it's safe to say that the coming of Spring will be welcomed with many open & grateful arms...and what better way to ring in the new season than with delicious floral cocktails?!
I was inspired to sling some Springtime drinks after stumbling across a Monin Floral Collection of sample syrups on Amazon. The set includes five 50mL bottles with the following flavors: violet, rose, lavender, hibiscus, and elderflower. This collection is literally the best of all worlds for a home bar: you get to try five different flavors before committing to a large bottle for the small price of $11, and each one can be added to about four different cocktails before they run out. Perfect!
As of this morning, this collection is sold out on Amazon, but you can still purchase it through Monin's site for only $11 (click here!). Shipping is only covered on purchases of $25 or more, but once you peruse Monin's vast vault of flavors, earning free shipping on your order will be incredibly easy. There are many different brands you can choose when it comes to beverage syrups, but what I love about Monin is that their syrups are not only high quality, but their flavors are all naturally sourced (no artificial preservatives, colors or sweeteners). Plus, my bar manager in Beverly Hills for +5 years, Randy Evans, is incredibly knowledgable when it comes to anything cocktail-related, and if Monin is good enough for him, then it's good enough for me!
So, without further ado, here are six Springtime floral cocktails!
Elderflower Vodka Press
Light & refreshing with a touch of citrus.
- 1.5 oz of Vodka
- 0.75 oz of St. Germain
- 0.25 oz of Elderflower Syrup
- 1 lemon wedge & 1 lime wedge
- Splash of Club Soda
- Splash of Sprite
Fill a highball glass with ice, then add the first three ingredients. Squeeze & drop the lemon and lime wedges, then dump all ingredients into a shaker and shake! Dump ingredients back into your highball, and top with equal parts club soda and Sprite.
**Add more ice into your highball after shaking, if needed.
Violet Lemondrop
Sweet, citrusy and boozy martini.
- 1.75 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Cointreau (or triple sec)
- 0.75 oz Violet Syrup
- Juice of half of a large Lemon
- Sugar for the rim
- Lemon twist for garnish
Rub your lemon half around the rim of your martini glass, then lightly dip the rim in sugar. Next, fill your shaker with first four ingredients, add ice, and shake. Then strain into your sugar-rimmed martini glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Lavender Gin Fizz
Sparkling & refreshing with a touch of black raspberry.
- 2 oz of Gin
- 0.5 oz of Lavender Syrup
- 0.5 oz of Chambord
- Juice of Half a Lemon
- Club Soda
- Lemon wheel garnish
Fill a highball glass with ice, then add first four ingredients. Dump all ingredients into a shaker and shake! Then dump back into your highball glass and top with soda and a lemon wheel garnish.
**Add more ice into your highball after shaking, if needed. Start with a splash of soda, then add more for taste.
Berry Rose Martini
Boozy vodka martini with hints of rose & strawberry.
- 1 to 2 plump Strawberries
- 0.75 oz of Rose Syrup
- 0.5 oz of Chambord
- 3 oz of Vodka
- Strawberry Garnish
Dice your strawberries & muddle in your shaker with the rose syrup. Then add Chambord, vodka, ice, and shake. Double strain into your martini glass and garnish with a strawberry.
Lavender Mimosas
Champagne with a citrusy, floral twist. This recipe is for two.
- Juice of half a Lemon
- 0.5 oz of Lavender Syrup
- Champagne
- Lemon Twist
Split the juice of your lemon half into two champagne flutes. Add 0.25 oz of syrup into each glass, then top both with champagne. Gently stir both, then top with a lemon twist.
**This is a recipe I found on Monin's site! Their recipe calls for 0.5oz of the syrup. I use 0.25oz per glass because my champagne flutes happen to be on the smaller side. Like I always say, start with the lesser amount, and add more syrup to taste if you like! You can always add more to cocktails but can never take away.
Hibiscus Mojito
Sweet & minty with a whole 'lotta lime!
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 1 oz of Hibiscus Syrup
- 5-6 Mint Leaves
- 2 oz of Rum
- Top with Club Soda
Add all ingredients except the soda to your shaker, and dry shake. Then pour into your ice-filled glass and top with soda. Garnish with fresh mint & a lime wedge.
**I'm sure it's sacrilege for me to not muddle my mojitos. You can absolutely muddle the first three ingredients if you'd like! I however don't like a bunch of pulp clogging my straw, and also find when mint is bruised from over-muddling, it can release a bitter flavor. Dry shaking your mint will help release its fragrant oils without becoming bruised.
Helpful Tips!
One of the upsides to making your own cocktails is that you can always cater a recipe to your liking. I personally prefer my cocktails with a touch of sweet, but I've served many guests who hate the taste of alcohol and would prefer sweet flavors to mask its taste. If this is you, go easy on the alcohol amounts and use more of the syrups, citrus & sodas. I also recommend using high quality liquor. You'll find that the better quality of liquor you use, the less sugar you'll need to cover its taste - they're usually cleaner & smoother than bottom-shelf liquors. You'll also greatly decrease the severity of any potential hangover!
I made sure to only use liquors & ingredients that are common in home bars and easy to find at liquor stores, so besides the syrups, most of this should be easily accessible and the recipes won't be intimidating to try.
Disclaimer: I do not claim any of these recipes as solely my own, and don't want to give the impression that I alone created these. The thing about bartending is that most people are drawn to the same flavor combinations, and one bartender can truly believe they've come up with the perfect cocktail just to find five other people have already tried to claim that recipe for themselves. I'm sure there are many different recipes you can find online that are similar to these, but these six are ones I've tested out for myself with ratios that taste balanced to me.
If you get the chance, definitely get this collection before it's all sold out! These floral flavors go great in mocktails, lattes, and a plethora of other beverages as well. Let's cheers to the sunny season of new beginnings - let's cheers to Spring!
P.S. If you'd like more drink recipes to try with your Monin flavors, click here!
P.S.S. If you try any of these out, be sure to let me know! I'd love to see some pics of your floral concoctions!
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