Spring is blooming into summer, and with it comes flower gardens and floral cocktails. Edible flowers are a sure way to nudge a cocktail into *almost* too pretty to drink territory, and will be a highlight of any garden party. Looking to add a little floral flourish to your cocktail? We compiled 5 of our favorite floral cocktails, straight from the garden.
Prickly Hibiscus Sour
A Thatcher’s original, this showstopper utilizes hibiscus as not only a showy garnish, but as a part of the floral flavoring.
- 2 oz Thatcher’s Organic Prickly Pear Liqueur
- 2 oz Thatcher’s Organic Small Batch Vodka
- .75 oz hibiscus simple syrup
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- 1 hibiscus flower, garnish
In a shaker tin, dry shake all ingredients until well incorporated. Add ice and wet shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a hibiscus flower.
Sparkling Borage Cocktail
Borage is a self-seeding (read: easy for beginner gardeners), pollinator attracting, wonder of a flower with blue star shaped blooms. Both the plant and the blooms taste like cucumbers!
- 1.5 oz Joseph Magnus Vigilant District Dry Gin
- .5 oz Thatcher’s Organic Elderflower Liqueur
- .5 oz borage simple syrup
- 1 splash freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 splash club soda
- Borage flower ice cube, garnish
For Borage Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup young borage leaves and flowers, rinsed
Fill ice cube trays halfway with distilled water and freeze. Place a single borage flower on each cube. Fill cubes the rest of the way with water and freeze.
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Over medium heat, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and bring to a slow boil. Add 1/2 cup borage leaves and flowers and stir. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for at least one hour. Strain the borage from the syrup using a fine-mesh strainer. Bottle and refrigerate.
In a cocktail shaker, pour the Joseph Magnus Vigilant District Dry Gin, Thatcher’s Organic Elderflower Liqueur, borage syrup, and lime juice. Fill with ice.
Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add borage flower ice cubes and top with club soda. Serve and enjoy.
See the full recipe and instructions here.
Blood Orange Bee’s Knees
For a cocktail that screams summer and the color orange. Nasturtiums, blood orange, and honey make up these floral cocktails.
- 1 oz Joseph Magnus Vigilant District Dry Gin
- 1 oz Thatcher’s Organic Blood Orange Liqueur
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce honey syrup (1 part honey dissolved in 1 part warm water)
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Nasturtium, garnish
Combine all the ingredients except the nasturtium in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the flower.
See the full recipe and instructions here.
Elderflower Rose Gimlet
Utilizing not only the iconic rose, but also elderflower, this cocktail has a whole lot of florals.
- 2 oz Joseph Magnus Vigilant District Dry Gin
- 1.5 Thatcher’s Organic Elderflower Liqueur
- 1.5 ounce fresh lime juice
- .5 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- .5 teaspoon rose water
- Rose petals for garnish
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine Joseph Magnus Vigilant District Dry Gin, Thatcher’s Organic Elderflower Liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup and rose water. Shake vigorously and pour contents, ice and all into a rocks glass filled with ice or a cocktail glass, neat. Garnish with a rose petal.
See the full recipe and instructions here.
Lavender Mint Vodka Lemonade
Lavender has many benefits, and a delicious floral flavor.
- 2 oz Thatcher’s Organic Small Batch Vodka
- 4 oz lemonade
- 1.5 oz lavender simple syrup
- Splash of club soda
- Crushed ice
- Small handful of mint leaves
- Lemon slices
For the Lavender Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon culinary lavender
Make the simple syrup. Bring the water, sugar, and lavender to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for a minute or so until sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely, then strain and discard lavender.
To make the cocktail, add a small handful of torn mint leaves to a glass and fill the glass with crushed ice. Add a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Add the Thatcher’s Organic Small Batch Vodka, lemonade, and lavender simple syrup. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into the glass. Top off with a splash of club soda and garnish with a lemon slice and a spring of fresh mint.
See the full recipe and instructions here.
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