Recipe: Lavender Lemonade

One thing being pregnant has taught me: most of the time, the non-alcoholic drink options suck. Restaurants and bars that pride themselves on their innovative cocktails often come up short on the non-alcoholic side, offering perhaps a couple artisanal sodas or a too-sweet lemonade. And if I want anything beyond water or Coke at friends’ parties, I’ve learned to bring it myself.

So when I started planning a baby shower for a friend, I knew from the start that the non-alcoholic drink option had to feel as special as everything else on the menu. This tart, refreshing, lightly floral lemonade made with lavender blossoms was exactly what I was looking for.

I discovered this recipe from the earliest years of The Kitchn — a lavender lemonade from a lavender farmer in California, shared by Stacie, a past contributor, way back in 2006. It seemed like the perfect non-alcoholic sip for a sophisticated spring baby shower, so we decided to share it afresh with you.

You start with a simple syrup of sugar, water and lavender blossoms, steeped briefly for a light lavender flavor, or a couple hours for a more pronounced but not overwhelming floral taste. Mixed with freshly squeezed lemon juice and water, the syrup turns plain old lemonade into a much more special drink, one that is fragrant and a little unexpected, but still thoroughly refreshing.

Mix up a batch for your next warm weather party, sunny picnic, or casual Sunday afternoon on the porch. Teetotaling or not, your friends will thank you.