There’s nothing like lemonade on a hot day. And if you want to make it extra special, a little lavender simple syrup goes a long way in creating this herbal, floral treat of Lavender Lemonade. Best of all, it’s a snap. Last week, we were in Door County, Wisconsin and I wanted to do something a little special for our big group of friends as well as create some great photo opps for Dirty Laundry Kitchen. I decided to throw an old-fashioned croquet party, and while I wanted it to be elegant, I didn’t want to spend a whole day of my vacation stuck in the kitchen while my friends and family were off playing without me. I centered the menu around quick and simple store-bought products that leave plenty of room to gussy them up. The menu was slightly French country, and very simple, and in two hours, I’d made all the food, fixed the lemonade, set a gorgeous table (with a little help from my mom) and slipped into my croquet whites. We had a hilarious afternoon knocking the croquet balls into the woods and trying our best to be the first back to the wicket. And with all that croquet playing, we needed lots of refreshment. I made a huge jug of Lavender Lemonade using frozen lemonade from concentrate as my base, and set out Death’s Door Gin for guests to spike their drink with at their discretion. This delicious Lavender Lemonade was a big hit and I didn’t even had to spend the morning squeezing lemons.
Lavender Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
- 12 ounces lemon flavored fizzy water
- lemon wedges and lavender stalks for garnish
- lots of ice
lavender simple syrup
- 10 stalks lavender or dried edible lavender
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- Death’s Door Gin optional
Instructions
- Start by making the simple syrup. Go pick some lavender from Dad's herb garden (or buy a plant from a garden store).
It sure was fun to have a gorgeous herb garden from which to gather this beautiful bunch of lavender. 
- Place the sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Add some of the lavender stalks; reserve most for garnish.
- Heat over medium high heat until the liquid comes to a simmer. Turn off. Let cool.
- Add the frozen lemonade and lavender simple syrup to a large container or pitcher. The side of the frozen lemonade container will tell you how much liquid to add (it’s usually 4⅓ cans water). Add the fizzy water using the can to measure. Then add the rest in tap water. Stir well. Add lots of ice (with the extra sugar from the simple syrup and the lemon fizzy water, you don't have to worry about it tasting diluted even as the ice melts).
- I set it out on a big tray with glasses, the lemon wedge and lavender stalk garnishes, and a decanter of gin and let guests fix their own. I made a double batch for about 15 people and we polished the lemonade and the gin off during the course of the afternoon.
Pingback: Mail Order Herbs
Pingback: Ladies Lunching Chicken Salad
Wow! This looks so perfectly refreshing! Just delightful!
Thanks!
Love this for a summer drink/cocktail. Can think of lots of uses for the lavender simple syrup!
I know! I love it drizzled over sorbets.
I LOVE lemonade, but I have never worked with lavender. I need to give it a try (I do have some lavender maple syrup on hand that may work!)
I think it would, but you may want to use more club soda or water with the mix. Syrup has a strong flavor and it tastes more sweet. Let me know how it goes.
I LOVE Door County! We lived in the Milwaukee area for 10 years… my husband originally being from there and we got up to Door County several times.(We live in Colorado now). I love this recipe, especially since summer temps are here. The lavender syrup looks pretty simple to make, too. Thank you! I will definitely be trying it this summer.
So fun to bond over beautiful places- and Door County is definitely one of them. This is a really easy recipe with big impact! You’ll love it.