Some of you may be surprised to see that we’re sharing a recipe for making an alcoholic cocktail on the site. Sometimes what we all really need to nurture ourselves is indeed a strong drink at the end of the day, and this recipe for making the most refreshing citrus lavender cocktail ever is absolutely perfect for that.

The cocktail itself is quick and easy to make as it only requires a few simple ingredients. I’ve been on a huge lavender kick lately, which is where the inspiration for this drink recipe actually came from. I’ve mainly been using both dried lavender flowers and lavender essential oil for most of my lavender recipes and DIY projects.

Today we’ll be switching things up though and using one tablespoon of lavender simple syrup when making this recipe. If you’ve never tried lavender simple syrup before, then you’re in for quite a treat. It provides quite a mix of different flavors, with it most commonly being described as “slightly minty” with “apple-like” undertones.

You can of course purchase lavender simple syrup from your local grocery store, but I much prefer to make my own homemade version. That way I can be absolutely certain of what goes into the syrup and I don’t have to worry about any unhealthy additives or anything like that.

How to Make Lavender Simple Syrup

If you’ve never made lavender simple syrup before, there are actually a few different ways that you can whip it up from scratch. The good news is that much like this cocktail recipe, making your own syrup is quite straightforward. I’ve gone ahead and gathered a few of my favorite recipes from around the web that you can follow to make your own lavender simple syrup:

How to Make Lavender Simple Syrup for Cocktails (The Spruce Eats)
Lavender Syrup with Coconut Sugar (Healthy Slow Cooking)
Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe with Real Lavender Flowers (A Wandering Foodie)

Shaken, Not Stirred

When it comes time to actually make this citrus lavender cocktail, the alcoholic drink of choice to mix in will be four tablespoons (a little more than a single shot glass serving size) of lemon vodka.

You can of course use whatever type of spirit you prefer (this recipe is quite nice with white rum and gin as well), but there are a couple of reasons why I like to use lemon vodka. The first reason is that it’s low in both sugar and calories, meaning you don’t have to worry about counting your carbs whenever you make this drink.

The second reason I like to use lemon vodka is that just like when making the lavender simple syrup, I love to make my own homemade lemon vodka instead of going with store-bought brands. If you’re interested in doing the same, I also have a few of my favorite recipes for making lemon vodka that you can try as well:

Homemade Lemon-Infused Vodka (Boulder Locavore)
Easy Vodka Lemonade (What the Fork Food Blog)
Wild Blueberry Lemon Vodka (Living Well Kitchen)

Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice is the Way to Go

Yet another reason why I like to make my own homemade lemon vodka is because it helps to make sure that it’s only real, freshly squeezed lemon juice that is used. All too often these days you’ll find unwanted additives and preservatives in even the most unlikely of places. There’s also the fact that lemons are actually one of my favorite citrus fruits to include in my diet anyway (especially when it comes to making cocktail recipes like this!) because they provide quite a few stellar health benefits.

Lemons are an incredibly rich source of vitamin C that also provide you with modest amounts of potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium, folate, and dietary fiber. They also contain a unique compound known as d-limonene, which is found primarily in the lemon’s peel. D-limonene is what gives lemon essential oils their distinctive scents, and studies have also found that it can even provide relief from both heartburn and stomach reflux. (1)

That’s exactly why I use freshly squeezed lemon juice whenever I make this recipe, both for the lemon vodka and for the two tablespoons of lemon juice that the recipe calls for. There’s also plenty of evidence that even just the juice from lemons provides some pretty remarkable health benefits, including lowering high blood pressure and even helping to prevent cancer and other diseases thanks to its high antioxidant content. (2) (3)

Putting It All Together

Once you’ve made (or bought) both your lemon vodka and your lavender simple syrup, you’ll be all set to make this tasty cocktail. Start out by placing your two tablespoons of lemon juice into a shaker, along with the lavender syrup. Shake to combine, add in your lemon vodka, and then add enough ice to fill halfway. Shake everything well for a final 30 seconds before straining the drink mixture into a cocktail glass. Serve and enjoy!

If this will be your first time making this citrus lavender cocktail recipe, then this could be especially helpful for you. We’ve put together this handy list of the most commonly asked questions we get in regards to this specific recipe. If you had anything you were wondering about, take a few moments to browse the FAQ; if you still can’t find the answer you’re looking for, then feel free to leave a comment below.

If you’re anything like I was, then you’re going to be hooked on this cocktail from the moment you take your first sip. There’s something about the taste of lavender that goes so well when mixing drinks. If you want to try out a few other tasty lavender drink options, then all of the following recipes from around the web have been personally taste tested and come 100% recommended:

Lavender Bee’s Knees – A Gin and Honey Cocktail (Gastronom)
Lavender Lemonade Mojito Cocktail (We Are Not Martha)
Blueberry Lavender Fizz Cocktails (Betsy Life)
Lavender Grapefruit Gin Buck Cocktail (Sugar & Cloth)
Lavender and Black Pepper Cocktail (Difford’s Guide for Discerning Drinkers)

Can I Use Lavender Essential Oil Instead of Lavender Simple Syrup?

While lavender syrup provides this cocktail with a delightful taste that has the added benefit of helping you to relax and unwind…I highly recommend not using lavender essential oils when making any kind of lavender based cocktail.

The reason being is that ingesting essential oils can end up going terribly wrong, incredibly quickly if you aren’t absolutely certain of what you’re doing. Essential oils can actually be poisonous when misused, so you’re better off playing it safe rather than sorry – whenever you’re making any kind of edible lavender recipe, stick with dried lavender flowers or lavender simple syrup.

On that note, dried lavender flowers are an acceptable alternative to use for making this cocktail recipe. If you can’t find any lavender simple syrup and you don’t want to make any for whatever reason, feel free to go with dried lavender instead. You’ll just have to take extra care when straining your cocktail to make sure that you get all of the dried pieces of leaves out.