floralia cocktail

IN honor of spring, I have composed a floral cocktail that captures the fragrance of flowers and allows you to eat them. Of course, the idea of drinking flowers is nothing new. After all, perfumers must add that nasty compound to keep people from drinking their creations—and apparently this is still a problem in Russia, believe it or not! If you think about it though, we drink flowers ore often that we think about it. Jasmine tea, chamomile and hibiscus drinks are all made of flowers, as is one of my very favorite teas, China Rose.

I named my cocktail, rather obviously, Floralia, but you can call it whatever you like. It is very feminine and fresh, and I really like it. First, zest a teaspoon’s worth of lemon peel and put it in a teapot with 1 tablespoon jasmine tea, one tablespoon chamomile tea, and rose petals, if you have them. Pour approximately two cups boiling water in the pot and let it steep until at least lukewarm. In a cocktail shaker, squeeze and then drop in one large lemon slice, one shot Saint Germain, a few drops of rose water, one spritz sweet vermouth, and two shots Hendricks gin. fill shaker with ice and then strain in tea mixture. Pour into glasses, and garnish with lavender, candied violets, and rosebuds. Enjoy the flavor of Spring!

link to Candied Violets